


Animalistic Instincts

by phoenixreal



Series: Bleach Alpha/Beta and MPreg Fics [5]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Blood, Double Anal Penetration, Extremely Dubious Consent, Harems, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-04 15:53:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 65,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1082896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixreal/pseuds/phoenixreal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichigo and crew arrive in Hueco Mundo and find out that his inner hollow has gained more power than they thought.  He's captured and taken as a prize for Aizen's espada.  But who would think that one shinigami could change the course of all three realms?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When it Surfaces

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my first stories, and I must apologize for the horrible amount of typos. Please know that it will be edited soon enough. I'm aware of the worst of them, like butchering Uryuu's name and Ulquiorra's name. 
> 
> I'm using the underage tag as a precaution. All my stories feature Ichigo over the age of sixteen, and this story features artifical maturation of his body when the hollow heat sets in, which makes him closer to somewhere between 18-20 in reality..

Determination wasn't something that Ichigo was unused to at all. Here he was, standing on the sands of Hueco Mundo with four of his five closest friends. And he was here to get the last one. The Menos Forest had been a challenge, but here they were. Looking at the vast space in front of them. No one spoke for a while, looking ahead. Nel was clinging to his leg, with the other two seemingly dim witted arrancars not far behind. Despite her being an arrancar, he had become attached to the kid, and he would not let her get hurt. Just like his four friends and Inoue.

 _Don't get too comfy, king,_ came an expected voice in his head. He pushed it aside. What was he up to now? Their agreement had been he wasn't supposed to die until he surfaced again. Why was he whispering to him now.

Rukia caught the deepening furrow of his brow and looked at him expectantly. "Hollow stuff," he muttered and took a step forward.

Then he was on his knees, knocking Nel flat as he fell. "Ugh, what?" was all he had time to mutter before his eyes flashed and black began creeping across them and he buried his head in his hands with another groan.

Everyone seemed to have converged behind him, Rukia dropping her hand on his shoulder.

"Ichigo?" she said and then he started laughing, but it wasn't Ichigo's voice. It was a lilting, high, nearly manical laughter that made everyone back away from him. He turned sharply and locked eyes now black and gold, onto Rukia's violet eyes. A maniacal grin split his face as he continued to laugh.

"Oh fuck, king!" he said, standing slowly, those eyes rolling over all those present. "Fuck, man, what the fuck are you doing not shagging at least one a'this bunch?"

None of them knew how to react, the eyes were different, but otherwise, it looked like Ichigo. Then he snapped his head to the side like he'd been punched. "Fuck you, Ichigo! No fuckin' way. I'm stronger than you here, dumb ass."

The laughter pealed out of him again as a couple more snaps of his head. He started giggling and stared at the group looking at him with gaping mouths. "Who's should I eat first, king? Hrm? They all look sooo tasty."

There was a screech and Ichigo's body convulsed. "Fuck you, fine, whatthefuckever. Give me some time, and I'll take what I want, king. If you stay here, you're mine."

He stood there for a minute, a full body shake taking him over and slowly the black in his eyes began to recede and fell face first into the sand. Everyone exploded forward to help him sit up, Nel fussing over Itsygo, licking him even though there were no visible wounds.

"Ah!" he gasped and sat up, nearly cracking heads with Issida. He looked around and breathed in. "What…oh hell, that bastard," he said, balling both fists up and slamming them into the sand at his sides.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked softly, still not sure if he was who he was but he fixed her with his trademark scowl and she knew that he was himself. "What was that?"

Ichigo rubbed a hand through his orange locks. "My hollow. Somehow he managed to wrest control away, and I don't know why. I got it back but only because he wanted to go back for some reason."

They all looked at him. "Nii-sama told me, Ichigo, it's okay," she said patting his hand softly.

"He's the reason I'm vizard. I kicked his ass in my inner world and got the power of a hollow, though for brief periods," he said, reaching up and manifesting the mask for a moment so they could all see it, then willing it away. However, as soon as he did he felt a wave of incredible dizziness and found himself falling into someone's arms.

"What's going on?" he wondered out loud.

"Maybe it's being in Hueco Mundo? He did say he was more powerful here," Renji offered, kneeling beside him.

Nel crawled into his lap and began to sniff him urgently. He looked down at her as her nose seemed to sniff everywhere up his chest neck then she tried to sniff at his crotch and he grabbed her by the head and lifted her up, turning beat red. "What the hell, Nel?"

She smiled. "Itsygo smells good. Smell like…like…momma hollow."

She then latched her arms around his neck tightly. "Momma hollow, yay, Nel is happy!"

Ichigo frowned, garnering strange looks from those around him. "N-Nel, what are you talking about? I'm not a momma hollow, I'm human! A boy human!"

Nel sat in his lap, curling against his chest. "You smell like momma hollows. Daddy hollow will come find you soon. Nel hopes it is someone Nel likes."

Ichigo looked up franticly between his friends. From a distance they heard the keening of hollows, and they were getting closer. Within a few minutes there was an all-out invasion, it seemed, most of the adjunca class hollows of all types. Before long, though, they were all panting and the hollows were gone, with only minor injuries among the group. Nel was steadily licking a long cut on Ichigo's arm and he didn't have the heart to shake them off. Most the adjuncas had been barely sentient, and seemed to have a one tract mind on getting to Ichigo.

"What the hell?" Ichigo breathed, as he flopped into the sand again. Nel once again crawling into his lap and sniffing at his neck.

"Itsygo smells so strong now after the fight. Nel watch as you kill the ones that aren't worth Nel's Itsygo," Nel said smiling into his chest.

Renji and Chad both sniffed the air, finally catching a whiff something on the air. "Issida? Do you smell that?"

Issida moved forward to where they were standing, the strange smell nearly overwhelming him. "What is that?"

Thinking about what Nel said about Ichigo smelling different, all three moved over where he was, blinking and stepping back, now easily overwhelmed by a strong musky, sweet odor. "Ichigo, you smell…weird."

Ichigo frowned. "Like what?"

Rukia moved forward and finally smelled it. "It's…it's like cinnamon and…and…the smell after rain…"

"That's Itsygo's smell! He's powerful, Nel is so happy he's momma hollow, not daddy hollow. Nel likes watching them fight over Itsygo," Nel said sighing into his neck. She looked up and grinned. "Itsygo, is Nel your cub? Please?"

Ichigo was still extremely confused and nodded slowly. "Sure, you can be my cub, I guess…"

Nel clapped excitedly, then grabbed Ichigo's arm and bit into his forearm and strong reiatsu flared around them for a second. Ichigo was too shocked to do anything and then she licked it, healing the wound almost immediately, but leaving behind a strange mark on his arm.

"There, Nel has momma Itsygo now!" she said, returning to snuggle into him. Ichigo swooned falling onto his back, his eyes rolling up into his head.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said running toward him. Nel growled at her, holding onto Ichigo's black shikaoso protectively.

"You no touch Nel's Itsygo momma," she said, her eyes flaring with reiatsu.

Rukia looked to the others. "Just what the hell is going on?" Renji asked slowly, moving to stand by Rukia.

Ichigo's body jerked and the manic laughter came out of his lips again, but he didn't get up. His head rolled over, and the black and gold eyes were back. The grin split his face in an unnatural way, and slowly a white mask started to form over his left eye. "Hehehe. Yer such a stupid bunch, bringin' our half hollow ass to Hueco Mundo. Oh my, this is gonna be good, you know that? Fuckin' awesome. You get to watch him unravel and I'll fuckin' kill you all. Oh, here come the stronger ones. Ya ain't got time to run."

He glanced down and ran a hand over the small arrancar's head. "Jeeze, saddled with a fuckin' kid that I didn't rip outta my own gut. Tch, at least Ichigo might survive it since he's got a cub."

Around the four very confused figures there was the sound of multiple sonidos and they spun around seeing they were surrounded by arrancars. Rukia locked eyes with one she knew, the blue haired Grimmjow.

"Well, well, what have we here?" he asked. Beside him was a pale slender male that looked like green tears were painted on his cheeks that Chad recognized.

Rukia's hand tightened on her sword hilt.

"It would be ill advised to do that, shinigami," the green eyed espada said with no expression. "You will come with us or be destroyed."

Ichigo's body began to laugh, drawing the attention of those around him. "This is great! Holy fuck, Ichigo, king man, you are so fucked!"

Grimmjow and Ulquirro both looked at him with confusion. "The hell?" Grimmjow muttered before locking eyes with those shining gold and black eyes.

"Kitty cat!" he said, with a wicked grin, still petting Nel's hair. "Sexta-sama, growl for me, and show me where yer name comes from?"

Grimmjow stepped forward and blinked, a growl building in his throat. "What the fuck…is that…he's a fuckin…holy fuck."

Ulquiorra arched a brow and looked at the shinigami. "You brought him here? Were you insane?"

Rukia and Renji looked at him. Rukia drew her sword and pointed it at him. "What? What's happening here?" She asked frantically. "What's wrong with him? Why's he acting like this? And what's the weird smell?"

Grimmjow started laughing, a hearty laugh that seemed to go on forever. He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at them.

"You seriously don't know?" When he was met with blank stares, Ichigo's strange hollow voice giggled.

"Of course they don't fuckin' know, like I would fuckin' tell king here about it. Never expected to end up in fuckin' Heuco Mundo with his human ass," he said. "Well, I want Ichigo to experience the fun of being a beta bitch, so I'll fuckin' catch ya later!"

Ichigo's eyes cleared and he shook his head. "What…" he muttered looking up at them totally surrounded by arrancar. Nel sat in his lap, nearly purring in pleasure, and he was staring at Grimmjow and Ulquiorra.

"Oi shinigami, tell me, you going to enjoy this as much as we are?" Grimmjow said sneering at him.

Ichigo reached and grabbed for Zangetsu to find the blade gone. He looked around. "What? Where's Zangetsu, did you take him?" he asked looking around frantically.

There was a snort from Grimmjow. "Of course its fuckin' gone. You can't fight when yer about to get yer beta ass taken."

Ichigo did not like the sound of that. Behind him, a fight had broken out between a couple lower ranking arrancar. Grimmjow looked at them, then charged a cero and blasted both of them away. "You lowly fucks keep it up, I'll cero you to oblivion. None of you got a chance in fuckin' hell."

There was grumbling from the arrancar and Grimmjow smirked.

"You guys fuckin' getting' it yet?" he said, glaring at the wide eyed shinigami and humans.

No one said a word as Grimmjow sauntered over to where they stood, hands in his pockets. "Question is, do I tell you, or just you find out on your own? I'm sure he'd love you witnessing what we'll end up doing to yer precious shinigami? Yeah, I like that one."

"Grimmjow, we should send them back or take them to Aizen-sama. Aizen-sama will want to know that the substitute shinigami is a hollow beta," Ulquiorra said from beside them. They hadn't even seen him move.

Grimmjow nodded. "Aight, that's true. I'll get the bitch."

Ichigo held tightly to Nel as Grimmjow stalked toward him. "Stay away, Grimmjow, I swear, I'll…" The threat was empty, of course, Ichigo sucked at kido and for some reason his energy was being sapped from within. Nel jumped off his lap and ran to where Rukia and the others, grabbing onto Rukia's leg. He reached out for her despite this, somehow feeling very strongly attached to her.

"Nah, ya ain't fuckin' goin' nowhere."

He reached down and with one arm hefted him easily and tossed him over his shoulder, eliciting a frustrated moan from him. "Put me down, I can walk, you bastard!"

Grimmjow proceeded to whack him soundly on the ass, getting a surprise yelp out of him. "Oh, I like that," he said, tightening his grip around his waist. "Beta bitches don't walk once they're chosen, shinigami."

He walked in front of the others, struggling against the iron grip around him, until Grimmjow crushed him harder getting a strangled scream out of him. "Quit fuckin' struggling or I fuckin' break yer goddamned ribs." Ichigo froze, knowing that he was definitely not in the position to argue with the now seemingly much stronger espada.

"Put him down!" Rukia demanded. "What are you doing with him?"

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder at her and the others as they were being led behind him. Ichigo's eyes were wide, and Rukia could sense his rieatsu was receding, like it was being suppressed, which was something considering Ichigo had such a vast reserve of rieatsu. He obviously could tell something was happening to his powers, first is zanpakuto was gone, and now this… Rukia had never seen fear in his eyes. Determination, grim resolved, confidence, even before the moment he took her sword into himself willingly. Even before he had power to back up all that determination. But now, there was a glimmer, tiny, but there.

"What we do with all our beta bitches. Fuck them into submission," Grimmjow said with a wicked grin.


	2. Caught

The gasp from Ichigo was almost a scream as he locked eyes on Rukia before Grimmjow sonidoed away. He took his time though, enjoying the feeling of the damn orange headed shinigami on his shoulder. It felt just right to him. Every time he stopped he'd reach up and swat him on the ass again, getting the same frustrated grumble and the slightest squirm before he remembered that his ribs were easily broken in that position. Ichigo himself was flustered beyond belief, his face burning red, and every touch sent a shiver down his spine. The place where Nel bit him burned a little, and he wasn't sure what was happening.

Before long, the appeared in a big room in front of Aizen, but Ichigo was facing away from him, and instead staring into his group of friends which were surrounded by arrancars. He started to struggle again but was treated with a harsh slap again as Grimmjow walked forward.

"Aizen-sama, look what we found out in the desert being fought over by a ton of hollows," he said and launched Ichigo of his shoulder onto the floor. He tried to tuck and roll but his reflexes were slow for some reason and he wasn't reacting at all the right way.

He groaned and soon felt something small hugging him. He opened his eyes and saw Nel wrapped around his neck. She snuggled into him and the feeling was very pleasant.

"What is former tercera doing here? And why are you flinging this particular one around over your shoulder like that?" Aizen asked, his head tilted to the side on his closed fist. He looked uninterested in what was going on.

"I want him. Do what ya want with his friends, but I want this one," Grimmjow said with a grin.

Ulquiorra stepped forward. "Grimmjow, I am curarta, I will have the shinigami. I outrank you."

Behind them they heard a yawn. "Well, I'm primera, so I outrank you both." Stark looked at them lazily.

Aizen sighed. "What are you going on about?"

Grimmjow looked up. "He's a fuckin' beta."

Aizen leaned forward, mask of indifference falling slightly before it resumed. He appeared quite amused. "Really? Aren't they usually female?"

Ulquiorra answered. "Mostly, but there are a few rare males, and usually they are highly sought after being stronger and better suited to hollow birthing."

"Interesting. That's right you told me gender didn't matter when hollows mated. The baby forms in a reaitsu chamber anyway, from what Szayel said."

Ichigo had pushed himself further and further away, absolutely appalled by what he was hearing. They were talking about him like he was a hollow and not human. He wasn't a hollow, not completely.

_Close enough, king. Shouldn't have come here._

Rukia sputtered. "You…you can't just take him, he's not one of your kind!"

The three espada there were standing there turned and looked at her. "He's more our kind than your kind," Ulquiorra said flatly.

"But you can't just take him…and do…things to him like that!" Renji said, tripping over the words as he glanced at Ichgo's wide eyes.

Grimmjow smirked. "Why, Red? Would you rather I do them to you?"

Renji gulped and shook his head. "Well, good," Grimmjow said. "Wouldn't be any fun anyway. I'd probably kill ya."

"How do you intend to accomplish your goal when it would kill Abarai at full strength but Kurosaki is apparently not?" Uryu said, sliding his glasses up his nose.

Grimmjow grinned. "That's what happens. I gotta thank his hollow half, this would be much harder without him suppressing the reiatsu for the purpose. Call it hollow heat, if ya want. A powerful beta signals like that, sudden spike then dip in reiatsu, release of the pheromones, all that jazz."

"Grimmjow, we still haven't decided who he'll go to?" Stark said with a yawn. "We could always fight it out like the lower ones do, I guess."

"I'm afraid I can't have all my espada tearing each other apart for the purpose of a single beta," Aizen said from his perch. "I do have a war to wage, here."

Grimmjow glared at the other two espada when there was a burst of sonido and another arrancar appeared. This one was very tall and thin with one eye covered.

"What the fuck is goin' on, I smell…" he said and his eye fell on Ichigo who was still sitting on the floor with Nel in his lap.

"Nnoitra, don't even fuckin'…" Grimmjow started but before he finished the lanky guy had leaped over and knocked Nel away and was pinning Ichigo's shoulders to the ground and staring down at him.

"Hrm, what do we have here?" he said and leaned down to bite him on the neck hard. Ichigo screamed, and felt blood come pouring out of the wound. Suddenly, the man above him was yanked away and he heard cussing, but he was getting dizzy really fast and he wasn't even standing up.

"The fuck, Nnoitra!" he vaguely heard Grimmjow's voice. "Shit, it's not stopping, fuck; get the stupid woman, now!"

He was floating somewhere between the worlds it felt like, and then he suddenly snapped back to reality looking up and seeing a familiar golden shield around him. He groaned, his whole neck throbbing.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she exclaimed, seeing his eyes opening finally. "I was worried you lost too much blood!"

He looked up to see his four "suitors" staring down at him, the black haired one who bit him looking a bit sheepish. "Man, I'm sorry I got a little carried away," he complained.

Grimmjow fixed him with a stare. "Little? You almost fuckin' ripped his throat out. He's only half hollow, bastard!"

"Have you children figured out how to handle your new toy yet?" Aizen asked from his seat above, really looking amused at the commotion going on below him. "You could always be good and share your toy."

Grimmjow looked at the other three and his jaw was set. He didn't like the idea. He'd found him and brought him back. But he knew that he didn't stand a chance against Stark. And possibly Ulquiorra. His only hope was to knock him up with his kits. And he was fuckin' cat, so that shouldn't be a problem.

"Aight. That's doable," Grimmjow said finally. "But no fuckin' one else! Shit I don't want that creepy ass mother Zonmari near him. Or Barragan for that matter."

"I doubt either of them would have any interest. I'm more worried about Szayel due to his interest in him as a test subject now that he has been given to us," Ulquiorra said, staring down at the golden shield.

Ichigo didn't have the strength to comment, as he was quickly becoming resigned to his fate. He heard the damn hollow cackling in his head.

Inoue was looking up at them. "Wh-what's happening? Kurosaki-kun, what are they talking about you like this for?"

Grimmjow kneeled and looked at her across the shield. "See this here boy of yers is now ours."

Inoue frowned and looked between the four arrancars, then to where her other friends stood surrounded by the lower arrancars. "Why do you want Kurosaki-kun?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"He's our new fuck toy, that's what," Grimmjow said with a gleam to his eye and then reached through and shattered Inoue's shield grabbing him by the front of his clothes and slung him over his shoulder.

"I got him first, bitches. I'm the only one who's fought him here," Grimmjow said, stalking off with Ichigo slung over his shoulder. He turned to Inoue, flashing a wicked grin at her as he ran his hand over Ichigo's ass making him kick out hard and yelp at the touch. "I'll call for you later, I'm sure he'll need it when I'm done with him. First time's always the worst, you know."

It sounded like all of his friends had tried to run for him as he was sonidoed away. He dropped his head down against the back that held him. What else could he do?

Nel sat near Rukia's feet and sulked. "Momma Itsygo go way. Nel want momma Itsygo."

Inoue sat blinking and looked up at Aizen. Rukia helped her to her feet. Renji's face had flushed bright red. "You're going to let them do this, Aizen?" Renji said, his chest tight.

"Of course. It entertains my espada. And keeps your friend from interfering in my affairs. It's a win for both sides, I believe," he said, languidly.

"How? How can you let them…" Rukia said, her breath catching. "He's going to kill him and you're okay with that?"

Aizen smiled softly. "He won't kill him, he likes his toys too much to break them. Well, at first."

He looked over and looked down at Gin. "Gin, set them up in one of the larger rooms. They may remain together, and maybe we'll let Kurosaki-kun spend some time with them, when he's not otherwise occupied by my espada."

The five friends were escorted out, all looking back where Ichigo had been taken, all fearing what was going to happen to him, and hoping that somehow he could get free. Inoue nervously chewed her lip as they were shown into a large open room with a bathroom and two adjoining bedroom areas. There was also a large sofa in the center of the room.

"I'll take the sofa, so I can hear if anyone comes in," Renji said flopping down. No one said anything for a long time.

Inoue broke the silence with a sob, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I thought I was going to be happy to see you but now, if they hurt Kurosaki-kun, it's my fault!"

Rukia put an arm around her gently. "Orhime, not at all. Ichigo made the choice to come here with us. And none of us had any clue about this, except his inner hollow. And that bastard didn't say a word to anyone about this."

She sucked in a sob and looked around at Chad and Issida, both who sat on the sofa glaring at a spot on the floor. "But…but they're going to…" She couldn't even bring herself to say the words, and everyone realized what a heavy weight this was, knowing what was happening to their friend at that moment, and being completely powerless to help him.

A second later the door opened and Ulquiorra dropped Nel into the room and shut it. Nel had been crying and she went crying and jumped into Renji's lap where he sat. She sniffed and snuggled him. "Not momma Itsygo!" she cried and then wrapped her arms around Renji. He looked down and patted her carefully.

The door opened again, and a thin arracar with bubblegum pink hair stepped in. He shoved his square wire framed glasses up his nose and grinned at them.

"My name is Szayle Granz. I know that you will spend some time with Kurosaki-kun after he's finished with his…activities with the various espada. I need to make certain that I am summoned every time. If we are going to have a successful implantation, I need to be able to monitor his progress," he said matter of factly.

"Implantation? You mean like with a baby?" Inoue asked with a frown. "Kurosaki-kun cannot carry a baby. He doesn't have the parts for it!"

Szayel smiled. "Hollows don't have reproductive organs at all. Hollow babies are formed in a special chamber made of reaitsu. All that matters when hollows mate is that the alpha's reiatsu has to overtake the betas for a pregnancy to occur. Then, when the babies reach full gestation, they cut open their belly and let them out. Instant regeneration means that they don't have to worry about that. Of course, that won't work for your friend. I'll have to take them out myself."

He turned and left and the five friends sunk into whatever seat they were in, or if they were already sitting, they laid back even further. Sure there was a degree of exhaustion. But most of this was the weight that they knew unless a miracle happened..


	3. Breaking In

He couldn't breathe very well. He didn't really know what was happening. He was fatigued and could hardly stand to hold his head up. He heard behind him another sonido. Someone was following them. Wait, more than one. Oh, hell, he thought. All of them?

Grimmjow stopped in the corridor, sensing the reiatsu following him. Behind him, his pursuers came to a stop. Nnoitra leaned his lanky frame against the wall. And Ulquiorra stared impassively while Stark yawned beside him.

"I said, I got him first," Grimmjow growled, knowing that he was treading a dangerous line. The first alpha had a better chance at giving offspring. Not that they were really inclined to share a good beta.

"You ain't able to take down one of us, let alone all of us, sexta, what makes you think you'll get to be first?" Nnoitra said with a glare.

Fuck, Grimmjow thought. This was going to be a losing battle unless he came up with something. He smirked. "Okay, how about we do this, I get him first, then I drag his ass to whoever is next in line after a nice long bath. By the time I get him there, he'll have healed up enough that you won't miss anything. And I'll hold off my reiatsu, we'll make the first round about submission and not kits."

The other three glanced at each other. "I suppose, if yer gonna fight to pop his cherry ass, then we can do that. Otherwise we're gonna end up fightin' and Aizen's gonna get pissed off, then he'll kill him and none of us get to romp," Nnoitra said sullenly, seeing that the sexta espada was going to fight for it, even if it meant losing.

"Oi, I'm right here, you bastards!" Ichigo scowled over Grimmjow's shoulder. This talking about him like he was a thing was getting on his nerves.

Grimmjow tightened his grip, getting a gasping yelp out of him. "Shuddup, ya ain't got no input."

"I have an idea," Ulquiorra said a smirk turning at his lips. "Why don't we watch?"

Nnoitra and Stark exchanged positively lecherous glances. "Sounds good."

Ichigo groaned against the back he was on. As if this wasn't bad enough, now he was to be made a spectacle in front of the rest of them while Grimmjow…he couldn't even think it. Just the thought sent him into a kicking frenzy, resulting in another crushing grip and a sound slap to his rear.

"His sounds are intriguing," Ulquiorra observed blandly. "Can we make him do that again?"

Grimmjow squeezed him and smacked him soundly again, again eliciting the same yelp. "Stop!" he said breathlessly. "Stop that!" Of course, it only earned another slap, which despite biting his lip caused another yelp. He heard the snickering behind him and his face flushed red. Then they were moving, where he wasn't sure, but he found himself in a large living space, with several doors off to the sides. He was flopped unceremoniously down on a large sofa while the others glared at him. Stark had fallen into a comfortable chair and looked about to fall asleep himself. Nnoitra and Ulquiorra had positioned themselves in another pair of chairs and Grimmjow was standing over him grinning.

And despite how hard he tried, he found himself blushing madly. This earned a snicker from Grimmjow who reached down and shredded his shihakuso with deft hands. He gasped at the rush of cold air but also exposure.

"Damn, you really are a virgin, aintcha?" Grimmjow asked as he tried to cover his flushed face. "I don't think he's ever been with a woman, either by the look. Well answer me?" he said reaching down and pulling his chin up with wide eyes.

"N-no…" he stammered.

Then, before he knew it, Grimmjow had straddled him, pressing him into the sofa. He grinned again, that look that sent shivers down his spine. But to his horror his hollow was making his body respond.

 _Time to have some fun, king,_ the voice rang in his head, laughing.

"Oh, oh no, don't do that, please you hollow bastard," he muttered, shaking his head.

Grimmjow frowned and when he looked up those eyes were black and gold again. He grinned. "Just wanted to give you the heads up, he don't know shit about this, so have fun." Then he blinked, eyes returning to brown.

"That hollow of yours sure wants ya to get fucked, don't he?" Grimmjow purred, twisting one strong hand around his wrists painfully.

His heart was beating out of his chest, sitting here underneath someone he had previously tried to kill. His hands were hooked above his head and he felt something hard pressing into his stomach. He looked down to see it was an incredibly large bulge in the arrancar's pants straining to be released. He swallowed convulsively and looked around desperately, but he knew that he wasn't going to find help here.

"D-don't do this, Grimmjow, this…no…" he muttered, shaking his head.

Grimmjow leaned forward and ran his tongue from Ichigo's ear down to his collar bone. "We're going to do this, all of us, whether you want to or not, and you're going to submit and let us because that's what you do."

With that, he stood up and shredded his hakama in one quick swipe, ripping the black fabric to shreds. The sudden nakedness made him ball up on himself, pulling his knees to his chest and protecting himself. Soon though, Grimmjow's hands were pulling his legs down with a growl.

"Stop," he commanded, and there was a shiver as he couldn't disobey that command. He lifted his eyes to see those cyan ones staring down at him with such intensity that he wanted to run but he was locked in that single command. Stop.

"See, Ichigo, yer a beta. And I'm an alpha. So that means, now that yer fuckin' ruttin', you will do what yer told so yer alphas don't kill you and yer eventual offspring. Now, since yer part human, we'll go easy on ya, well, a little more than usual, but you give us any trouble and you'll be chained to the bed for a month. And then we'll go about and take out our frustatrion on yer friends, if you know what I mean," Grimmjow said, his mouth inches from his ear.

Ichigo blinked. "You'll what?"

Grimmjow smiled, knowing he'd found the leverage he needed. "You don't spread yer fuckin' legs each and every time we ask, I'll go and fuck yer little girlfriends until they bleed instead."

Ichigo shook with the fear of seeing his friends going through that. Maybe he had to do this because he was stronger, he was able to handle it, maybe…

His thoughts were cut off when he felt Grimmjow start roughly nipping at his neck. Despite himself he turned his head away, offering the soft flesh to him, even though part of him screamed not to because that was just him submitting. He was giving him access to the most vulnerable part of him, the part that in a second Grimmjow could choose to kill him by biting into within seconds. What was he doing?

_Instincts, king, all instincts._

Then Grimmjow was all hands, everywhere and Ichigo didn't know where to put his so he settled on letting them lay at his sides. Grimmjow began to maul is body, pinching and prodding and finally laid his hands on his own betraying arousal. He hadn't wanted it, but it had done so anyway. He felt tears prick his eyes in frustration and embarrassment as Grimmjow's hand brushed up and down it making him gasp.

"Looks like beta bitch is getting into it," he murmured, resuming the nipping at his neck.

Then he was on his mouth, all teeth and tongue, forcing his tongue into his mouth with so much force that Ichigo thought it was going to suck the breath right out of him. He bit down on his lower lip enough to make it bleed and sat back. He then resumed the nipping and sucking at his neck, from the bottom of his earlobe down to his nipples. He left a trail of blood where his nips broke the skin, and a lot of bruising from the furious sucks at the flesh. Then he traced his tongue back up, clearing away all the blood. Ichigo found himself moaning and his hands going into the blue haired arrancar's hair.

Grimmjow sat back and shucked his vest and soon his pants and loomed over him with a very large member for a second. "Take it," he said, motioning to his mouth.

"I've never…uh…what…" he stammered, looking at the massive dripping organ. He'd never seen a man's penis this close before.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and grabbed his head on either side and forced the head into his mouth, surprising him with the strange salty taste. "Bite down and I'll gut you," he said forcing himself deeper into the warm, wet mouth. Grimmjow grabbed one of his hands and put it at the base of his cock, and Ichigo got the idea. He tried to encircle it, but his finger and thumb wouldn't touch, but he moved up and down it with his hand like when self-pleasuring. He could do this, he guessed. Then he slammed back into, causing him to choke violently and gag on the offending intruder to his throat.

"Well, we'll have to work on that, huh," Grimmjow said softly and pulled himself out of the now coughing and sputtering orangette.

Grimmjow reached down and stroked himself a couple times, feeling the slick saliva from his mouth and grinned. This would work. He then grabbed the gasping shinigami by the shoulder and flipped him over, shoving his arms over the back of the sofa and pulling his hips up toward him. He ground into him, gaining gasping moans from him.

"N-no…not there, please no…" he whimpered as Grimmjow reached down, shoving a dry finger into his tight entrance. The yelp of pain was pleasing as he tensed around him. He worked his finger down to the knuckle then pulled it back, then returning forcefully with two. Again, that pleasant yelp of pain. He worked them into him, feeling him tense and pull, but he had a firm arm locked across his back. He wasn't going anywhere unless he let him up.

"Please, that hurts," he moaned, but there was a trace of need in his voice.

Grimmjow grinned wickedly and removed his fingers, feeling the boy relax, but he pumped himself again, still slick with precum and saliva, and placed the blunt tip of his arousal against that extremely tight space. Ichigo gasped under him, beginning to thrash as he started to press against it. He growled a warning at him and he stopped, shivering as he pushed into him. Fucking hell, it was the tightest thing he'd ever put himself into. He had intended to go slow, so Ichigo wouldn't fight next time, but his need overcame his common sense and with one hard thrust he was all the way in, Ichigo crying out underneath him. He didn't wait, didn't give him a chance to adjust, just began thrusting into him hard and fast.

Ichigo balled his fists in the fabric of the sofa, tears flowing from the incredible pain shooting up his back and down his legs. But to his horror, something sent a pleasant thrill thorough him, something he thrust against and he let out a desperate moan of pleasure as the world went white for a second. "Again!" he found himself moaning, writhing under the larger man. "Again, please," he moaned. Above him, Grimmjow smirked, knowing he'd hit the boy's prostate head on, and he angled himself to do it again, hearing the most wonton sounds coming from him. He reached down in front and grasped him and began pumping him in front with the same fury he was ramming into him from behind.

His moaning hit a fever pitch as he suddenly went over the edge, digging both hands into the sofa cushions. His own orgasm sent Grimmjow over, the already horribly tight space he was thrusting into clamping down on him in reaction. He grinned, letting his reiatsu flow out of him along with his seed. He grinned to himself. He'd be damned if he wasn't the first one to sire kits with this beta.

He pulled out and let the boy fall into the couch and then watched in amusement as he covered himself, even though everyone in the room had already seen the show. He was still blushing, and even in the post orgasmic bliss, he was still angry. Grimmjow grinned, grabbing his face and crushing him into a kiss again. He tossed him aside, earning a whimper from him as he stood, pulling on his pants.

Stark was sleeping, one hand inside his hakama. It looked like he'd fallen asleep attempting to jerk himself off. Grimmjow arched a brow and shook his head. He glanced over at Nnoitra who was leering at the site of the flushed shinigami.

"Have at, I'm going to get something to eat," Grimmjow said, turning his back and leaving the room.

Ichigo wanted to scream for him to stop, that he couldn't just do that, take that, and then walk away but before he knew it, hands were on him again. He looked up into this new espada's eye and shivered. He was tall, at least seven feet if he didn't miss his guess and lanky and lean, and had a creepy grin that reminded Ichigo of Shinji a little. Before he knew it he was wrapped up and lifted off the sofa being carried into one of the rooms, a bedroom obviously. He started to struggle but he was gripped tighter than Grimmjow even.

Ulquiorra had followed them and resumed a seated spot near the bed as Nnoitra tossed him carelessly down. He was quick to shuck his white clothes, crawling over the bed onto Ichigo and leering down into his face.

"Strawberry, yer so cute after ya been fucked, ya know that?" he said, that grin remaining firmly in place.

"Please, not now, Grimmjow said I could have a bath and rest before…"

Nnoitra shook his head, his black hair falling over his shoulders. "No fuckin' way, not as hot as ya look right now, all flushed with his cum running out ya, um, makes me wanna eatcha up," he said, letting his incredibly long tongue loll out of his mouth, and Ichigo saw the 5 tattooed there. Fuck, this guy was stronger than Grimmjow. His rear was burning, and he really didn't want to do this again so soon, but the stare made him lay back and once again, bare his neck to the alpha above him. Nnoitra took the opportunity and dove down, leaving bleeding bite wounds and more thick bruises, trailing down to his stomach this time, leaving one bigger bite wound there. Then he carefully licked each of the wounds.

Ichigo found to his horror that he was hard again. Nnoitra noticed and put a deathgrip on his straining member, laughing under his breath. He then grinned and moved to kneel over him, putting his cock to his mouth. Ichigo's eyes widened. It was fucking long, like the rest of the man, and Ichigo wanted to get away front that, but had it shoved down into his throat. Once again his body recoiled, trying to eject the invader, but it only served to make him thrust his hips and force it deeper. For a moment, he wondered if he really was going to choke to death. What a horrible way to die…

But he pulled out then, leaving Ichigo gasping and laughed. "What a good little beta," he muttered, and then before Ichigo knew what was happening, he was between his legs and lifting up his hips. His eyes widened as he started shaking his head. "I can't take that, it's too much!" he whined but fell back as Nnoitra seated himself all the way in one thrust. Ichigo came up, a shrill cry from his lips, and he knew he'd hurt something inside, but Nnoitra didn't seem to care, finding a steady rhythm. Grimmjow's leavings had made it less painful to accept, but Nnoitra's length was painful, and he vaguely wondered if you could really die from this. He felt blood running down his legs when he pulled himself out before slamming back into him, and knew he was definitely torn somewhere because it burned.

Nnoitra seemed to notice his face and frowned, then reached down and started in on his cock. He didn't want to feel pleasure from this, this humiliation, this pain, but he moaned as he began to stroke him, almost gently. Then his mouth was in a kiss of complete domination, his tongue forced back by Nnoitra's almost to the point of it retreating down his own throat. Then he felt that coiling sensation in his abdomen, and for the second time, came onto his own stomach. Then Nnoitra had a couple more full length thrusts and sent his own seed, mixed with reiatsu of course into the beta below him. They lay together a heap for a moment and then pulled out of him, earning a whimper of obvious pain. He looked down and frowned realizing that his pubic hair was now matted with blood, and the shinigami appeared to still be bleeding.

"Ah, fuck, Aizen's gonna kill me if I do something we can't fix, hey Ulquiorra, can you go grab that healing bitch?" he said, grabbing a sheet to clean himself off before putting his clothes back on.

He heard the door shut, then glanced back down at the shinigami. He'd gone a little pale. Well shit, he thought. How the hell delicate were these humans? Well, he guessed lacking the regeneration had something to do with it. He frowned and grabbed a thicker blanket from the side of the bed and covered his lower half, shielding most the bloody sheets. But he noticed they were quickly soaking the blood into them. Damn this place for everything being white, he thought, as the door opened behind him, Ulquiorra leading the girl by her bicep. He grinned.

"Hey, woman, heal our bitch, unless ya wanna take his place," he said, sauntering out of the room.

She sucked in a breath at Ichigo. He had passed out and most his color was gone. She climbed up on the bed above him and called out her sun sun rikki, the shield forming over him. Ulquiorra stood at the end of the bed, watching. Inoue was crying as she directed the power to stop the blood. She was afraid to look at where it was coming from, but it was a serious internal injury. She stared at the blanket covering his lower body, watching as the white was gradually turning red as blood soaked into it.

Her eyes traveled up to his stomach, covered with bites and bruises, some pretty deep. They trailed up both sides of his neck and there was a gash in his lip. He moaned as the healing began to seal the worst of the wounds, and to her delight some of his color was coming back to him. His eyes fluttered and he opened them fixing her with a tired stare.

"Inoue?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yeah, Kurosaki-kun, I'm here, just stay still okay, you shouldn't move yet…" she said, trying to hide the tears building in her eyes.

He nodded, and turned his face away, uncomfortable, feeling the drenched sheets and blanket around him. As much as he wanted the sick feeling off his body, he didn't want to do anything to hurt Inoue even further. She finished and sat there. He felt better, and he smiled at her.

"I'll be okay, Inoue, don't worry. They…they'll leave you guys alone, okay? That's what they said. I hope they weren't lying to me…" he said softly, his eyes slipping closed again in sleep.

Ulquiorra grabbed her arm and led her off the bed and out. "But, please, I can't leave him like that, he needs to be cleaned up!"

The green eyed espada looked at her, and then at the bed. If it was left like that, he was sure coupling would not be pleasant when he had his turn with the beta. He nodded and pointed toward the bathroom. She went in and found a large bath like in her room. She drew warm water then went back in where he was still passed out.

"Will you take him in there?" she asked.

The pale espada shrugged, pulling off the bloody blanket and hefting up the nude shinigami. Inoue tried not to let her pain show as blood literally dripped off him as he carried him across the white room. She followed, as the green eyed man put him into the tub. She got a washrag and began washing the sweat and dried tears from his face as he twitched now and again in his sleep. She couldn't bring herself to do much but let him sit in the water which had turned a dirty pink shade to her disgust. She let the water out and asked her jailer to take him back. To her surprise, in the time she'd been in the bath with Ichigo, someone had come and changed the sheets and cleaned up the mess. She doubted it had been Ulquiorra.

He laid him down in the bed, and Inoue quickly covered him with a blanket. "Can't you put some clothes on him?" she asked in a pleading tone.

"There is no point, they will simply be removed when he is conscious enough to be copulated with again," he said with a deadpan expression.

She was silent the rest of the way to her room, the smell of blood thick in her nose still. He pushed her inside and everyone came running, and she looked at them all with a look that made them all step backward.

"What was it? Did Grimmjow cut him up again?" Renji asked, hoping that he was right.

Inoue took a shaking breath and slid down the door to her knees and shook her head before dropping it in her hands.

"So much blood, oh there was so much….he was bleeding out so fast, I almost couldn't stop it…" she whispered. "Nnoitra, the tall one, again, but this time it was worse than when he bit his neck."

Rukia was kneeling in front of her. "What is it, Inoue?"

She felt the tears spill that she'd been holding. "He said that they promised to leave us alone so it was okay, but his eyes were in so much pain! What they did to him…I can't even…"

Rukia's hand squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay, if you can't tell us," she said softly.

She shook her head. "No, no you should know, it isn't fair if you don't know what he's giving just to keep us safe. He is doing it for us, and Nnoitra said as much, telling me to heal him or take his place."

Rukia pulled Inoue into a hug as she sobbed against him. Renji sighed. "So they are doing…that…to him?"

Inoue nodded. "It was bad, he was covered in bites and bright red bruises all up and down his body, and the blanket he was under was red from whatever internal damage the Nnoitra guy did to him. His wrists were nearly black with bruises…"

There was a quiet pause before she fell to sobbing into Rukia's chest again. A sheen of guilt had fallen over all those in the room, all of them feeling responsible for what was taking place when they couldn't stop it.


	4. Heart's True Form

Renji awoke with a start as the door slammed open, but he stayed still on the sofa, listening intently. He heard a familiar sounding voice snort at the doorway.

"What the hell, I was asleep, where are we now, or is it your turn?" groused the familiar orange head and Renji flinched inwardly at the sound in his voice.

"Not yet, but later. I do have duties other than taking my own pleasures into account. Stark is asleep, again, but primera will likely not forget. You are to be allowed here with your companions until I return for you. Szayel will come by to ensure that you received no irreparable damage from Nnoitra's overenthusiasm," the impassive sounding voice of the pale espada responded.

"Overenthusiasm? Is that what you call nearly killing me? After Grimmjow's none too kind…" he stopped, swallowing.

"You were lucky the woman was here. But that is of course why she is still here. You are human more than hollow. So you will break and it is her ability to heal you that ensures she remain alive in our hands."

"Fuck you," Ichigo said, a defeated tone in his voice.

"It is that or your friends can take your place."

Renji heard the hitch in Ichigo's breath. "N-no. Fine whatever you got I can take, bastard."

"You see, your friends are your weakness now, don't you? If it were not for them, you wouldn't be in this position. You wouldn't have come to Hueco Mundo. Your hollow wouldn't have incapacitated you and released the pheromones that drew the mass of hollows to you as well as us. And now, we wouldn't be vying for the chance to leave our offspring in your less than willing body," the tone never changed, remaining even as he spoke. Renji couldn't see, so he cracked open an eye, and the angle was bad but he saw Ulquiorra's back to him, and could see he was gripping Ichigo's arm, but he couldn't see more than that. "Do you regret coming here?"

"No, not one bit, you bastards, even if I'd know, even if the fucking hollow had told me this could happen, I still would have come."

There was a long pause. "Do you have feelings for the woman? Do you lust after her?"

"No, bastard, she's my friend, and I would do the same for any of them, even Ishida's annoying ass," he answered, his tone less angry.

"Interesting. I shall return later, beta, after Szayel reports on your condition to my satisfaction. Do enjoy your free time. I suggest sustenance, as I am not sure when you will return here to refresh yourself. I do not intend to break you as Nnoitra did, however, I'm unsure."

There was a pause and the door shut, and a thrum of power encased it, sealing. Renji pulled himself up to see Ichigo standing in front of it, hands balled into tense fists at his side. He'd been given some clothes, but they were white arrancar-style. It was a mockery of his previous shihakuso. He wore a pair of white hakama with a black obi, but the sides of the hakama were cut down nearly to his knees, leaving both hips open. The top was a white kusodo at the top, but from the angle, Renji could see that it was cut across his back, leaving his midback exposed and he imagined his middrift as well. He watched as he pulled at the top, trying to get more than a modicum of modesty out of it.

"Ichigo?" he finally said, and he started almost violently and turned to him, seeing him peeking over the arm of the couch.

Renji saw the look, the utter and complete look of shame, that crossed his face as he turned around and folded his arms over his chest, attempting to look casual.

"Yo, so they dumped me off to see you guys for a while," he said, and Renji could see he was desperately hoping that Renji hadn't heard his conversation with his captor.

Renji snorted, and sat up to stretch. "Yeah, talk about a shock, waking up to see yer ugly mug in here."

He didn't miss that he visibly relaxed and Renji knew how hard it must be for him to be seen like this. He picked at the clothes. "You'd think they'd give me something decent to wear," he muttered, trying again to pull an extra inch or two out of the kosudo he had on. Renji saw now that it was cut in the front just under his ribs, and the front was open from his collarbones down into a deep v at the bottom. "I look like a fucking prostitute."

Just then a door opened and Rukia's bright violet eyes met his and she ran over to him, grabbing him in a tight hug. She the stepped back and frowned at his appearance. "What in the three worlds are you wearing, Ichigo?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and walked into the small kitchen to rummage for food. Rukia locked eyes with Renji who shook his head slightly to convey that she really didn't want to go there. After a moment, Ishida walked out, sniffing the air as a smell of eggs and some kind of meat cooking wafted from the kitchen.

"Please tell me Inoue isn't cooking," he said, pushing his glasses up, and just then both Chad and Inoue emerged from their rooms to see who was cooking as well.

Ichigo emerged from the kitchen then and saw they were all awake. He smiled as best he could but he saw the look in their faces. All of them. And he knew that no doubt Inoue had told them about what she had seen the night before. So he swallowed and tried to look like normal. He scowled.

"Don't just stand there, come help me get the food out or are you going to eat it out of the pan?" With that he turned and reentered the kitchen.

There was a table with chairs off the kitchen and Ichigo proceeded to pull plates, all white of course, as the others came in and loaded their plates one by one. He'd found something resembling ham, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what it was, and some eggs, cheese, and some fresh and nice smelling herbs. So he'd put them together in omelet fashion and scooped one on each plate that came by, filling the last one with his own. He grinned at it, and was quite proud. He'd never mastered the art of omelet making before, but these were perfectly how he wanted them.

He sat down with the others and then didn't know what to do. He was suddenly uncomfortable, seeing them all trying to look like they weren't looking at him.

"If you don't eat, I'm going to think you don't like my cooking," he said finally, diving into his own food, stomach telling him he hadn't eaten in over a day now.

After a moment, they all did just that, Rukia's head popping up and staring at Ichigo when the first bite hit her tongue. It was incredible. Soon everyone around the table had a similar reaction.

"Ichigo, since when could you cook like this?" Rukia asked, amazed.

He looked thoughtful, twirling his fork absently. "Um, well, I've watched Yuzu a lot, but I usually get chased out of the kitchen for burning stuff, so I don't know what's up. Never really was interested in cooking much but now I want to."

The others exchanged looks. Well that was certainly a switch in traits in their orange haired friend. He seemed oblivious to it. After a while they started talking idly about Las Noches and the different arrancar, avoiding the subject of those that Ichigo was seemingly doomed to be involved with. Then they looked up as the door opened and Ulquiorra reached a hand inside and dropped a green haired bundle. Nel came streaking over and nearly knocked Ichigo over in his chair.

"Itsygo!" she cried, tears streaking her face. "Nel was so worried and begged and begged and begged until they let Nel see momma Itsygo!"

Ichigo smiled, and hugged the little arrancar to his chest. "I'm okay Nel."

Nel nuzzeled into his neck. "You smell like Grimm-kitty and the tall one I don't like," she said, causing Ichigo to flinch enough to nearly knock her from his lap. "But it's okay. Nel doesn't smell cubs from either of them, not now, they're gone."

Ichigo lifted her up. "What do you mean, not now?"

"Itsygo had cubs, but they're gone now. Nel is not sure how," she said and snuggled into him again, content.

There was a calm silence as everyone absorbed what had been said, but the door opened and the pink haired scientist walked in.

"Happy reunion?" he asked.

Ichigo frowned, remaining where he was sitting. Szayel grumbled. "Here, now," he commanded, a sharp edge to his voice.

The others watched as Ichigo flinched as if fighting something, and he stood and went over to where Szayel was standing. Szayel smiled and looked him over, a lecherous gaze falling over every exposed area of flesh. He pressed a hand suddenly to Ichigo's midsection and frowned. He glanced at the table.

"You healed him last night, yes?" he asked, looking at Inoue.

"Y-yes, he was hurt pretty badly, I had to or he would have died," she said timidly.

Szayel nodded and ran his fingers up and down Ichigo's bare arms. "Hrm, it seems my theory was correct. If you heal him, you not only reject the injuries, but also any cubs that might form. Which means, of course, you'll have to refrain from healing him now."

"But, if that happens again!" she said, standing, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

Szayel glared at her. "If Nnoitra doesn't control himself, he will have no shot at siring cubs with this beta. He is far too valuable to us to let Nnoitra's inability to hold back destroy him."

Ichigo growled. "Why? What the hell, aren't there enough fucking hollows around here to satisfy them since I'm obviously not equipped to survive this!"

Szayel pushed his glasses up and stared. "You see, most the espada are alphas, strongest and best of the vasto lorde and adjunca classes. Halibel and Nel were the only two female espada. Don't be so surprised, Nel used to be tercera espada, she's regressed and become a child and lost her memory since then. But they are what we call alpha females. Meaning that they are as rare as beta males. Instead of being impregnated, they do the impregnation." He paused rolling his eyes. "Sex doesn't matter to us; it is a matter of dominance of one reiatsu over another."

There was a pause. "But where does the child's soul come from?" Rukia asked quietly. "Hollows eat other hollows, they're formed by attachment to the world of the living. How can a hollow create life?"

Szayel nodded. "Your reputation, I see, isn't unwarranted, Kuchiki-san. Truly. And you're right. But when we mate, unlike humans, the reiatsu we force into the other is nothing more than one of the souls we contain. We do not 'create' life; we simply reshape the multitude of souls within us to satisfy the animal instinct to procreate. Even though it is completely unnecessary."

Ichigo looked up and glared at the pink haired arrancar. "What about you? You seem to be the only espada not trying to 'procreate'."

Szayel shrugged. "I'm a beta, so that instinct is not mine."

Ishida frowned. "If they have a beta among the espada, why are they wanting to use Kurosaki?"

"Simple, if I were to have cubs, I'd probably kill them," he said, with a wave of his hand. "Simple really, any alpha can tell by the pheromones I release. Unlike Ichi-kun here who releases the most maternal and protective pheromone scents I've come across, I release a scent that leaves no doubt that I am not the type to be mated with. It works well, as I enjoy using my fraccion to my own pleasures."

He turned and headed toward the door. "Good day for now, lovelies. I must make my report to Aizen-sama on the progress of our little experiment."

There was a shocked silence and Ichigo simply slid to his knees on the floor, his mind slipping away from reality. Babies? He seriously could carry babies? Even if they were just random souls, wasn't that what reincarnating was, anyway? Life from death. In a way it was like cleansing them with the zanpakuto, though he was sure the hollows didn't really think of it that way. The new life was released from its hold in the service of the other hollows. And it had a chance to survive anew.

"Ichigo!" a strong voice demanded and he blinked and was staring up into Renji's frowning face. He instinctively gasped and leaned his head back, offering his neck to the shinigami that his body recognized as an alpha.

Renji backed up. "What the hell, Ichigo?" he said, and Ichigo lowered his head, frowning.

"Sorry, it's just, nevermind," he said sighing, as he gathered himself and got up slowly.

He sat down on the couch and scowled at nothing, pulling his legs into a tight ball in the corner. The others glanced back and forth at each other, truly not knowing how to handle the situation. So Renji sighed. Perhaps he'd prod him into an argument, nothing got the young substitute going quite like an argument. So he flopped down beside him on the couch, a smirk on his face.

"Oi, if yer gonna be all sulky like that, I'm not gonna be able to kick yer ass in a fight again," he said grinning, hoping to get a rise out of him. Instead he fixed him with a glare for a moment but turned to stare away.

Chad and Ishida had sat down at the dining table, realizing that Renji was trying to get him to come around and act like himself again. Rukia headed to take a shower in her own room, and Inoue soon followed to do the same thing after putting away the dishes in the small kitchenette. Renji, was getting frustrated with the lack of response from his friend. He knew he was going through something severely traumatic, but he couldn't just let him recede into himself and stay there.

"Oi, dammit, come here, Ichigo, listen to me!" he said sternly, and immediately regretted it.

Ichigo's whole posture changed, shaking at first, then, like he was resisting something he turned to face Renji, keeping his eyes lowered as he did it, turning and pulling his legs under him. He crawled forward slowly over the short expanse that separated them and stayed there, on his hands and knees, breathing raggedly, head bowed. Renji frowned and reached out and pulled his head up to see his eyes filled with tears.

"Ichigo?" he asked softly, concerned now about what he'd done without knowing it.

He was starting to shake and Renji reached out and pulled him against him tightly, out of the completely abnormal and undignified posture of submission. His heart was beating a mile a minute he found as he laid his hand on his back. As soon as he did, a tremor went through his body. He looked over to Ishida and Chad, pleading for help with this.

"Renji, you're an alpha," Ishida said standing and moving over to kneel in front of them. Ichigo's eyes were shut and he was still trembling. "Right, Ichigo? That's what's happening?"

Ichigo nodded almost unperceptively and Renji gasped. "But I'm not one of them, why would I make him act like this?"

Ishida shook his head. "It doesn't matter, you're still the alpha type and when you command him, the instincts take over, and he can't deny whatever you say…"

Renji squeezed his friend closer, trying not to notice the flinch in the smaller man's body. "No, Ichigo, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I'd never want you do feel like you have to do what I say! I was trying to get you pissed so you'd argue with me, I didn't know."

After a minute, Renji realized he'd fallen asleep against him, brow finally losing the scowl that nearly always knitted it together. Nel had climbed up in Renji's lap. "Momma Itsygo doesn't like to be this way, Nel knows. Momma Itsygo is hurting, but can't stop it. Nel wants to help but Nel can't."

Renji sighed and then put Nel beside him, and carefully gathered up his sleeping friend. He didn't even stir as he laid him on one of the beds, Nel quickly snuggling in with him. Renji nearly staggered out of the room, his face drawn. Rukia was standing there when he came out, brow arched over her violet eye.

"Ishida told me what happened. It's not your fault, Renji," she said softly.

He swallowed. "How can I convince myself after the way he reacted, Rukia? I've been trying to think that Ichigo was fine; he would come through this, maybe a little worse for the wear, but still Ichigo. It's beginning to look like that's not true. He's not the same."

Rukia hugged the taller red head. "We just have to get him out of here, and he'll be okay again, take him back to soul society to heal."

Renji turned to her. "But is that even going to work? Rukia, after what almost happened to you, if we take Ichigo back after this, especially if he is carrying…cubs…what then?"

"I don't know what else to do, Renji," she said, softly. "Maybe Nii-sama can help. We could keep him in our household, protect him."

Renji nodded. "But first we have to leave here, and I still don't know how that will happen," he said tightly.

Slowly time passed, and Ichigo found himself locked into a nightmarish world of pain and blood. He wanted to get out, crawling in the darkness for some semblance of light, but something kept him fixed in this position on the bloody ground. No one touched him, he just couldn't move. _It's going to stay like this king, for the rest of your life…when an alpha speaks, you will obey, human, arrancar, or even shinigami._

The vision shifted and he found himself on his knees in submission before someone, and he looked up to find himself staring at Nnoitra and Grimmjow, both leering down at him, and he could do nothing, save offer up his neck in supplication, as they both began to devour him, body and soul.

"Ichigo! Wake up, please, Ichigo, please!" a soft voice pleaded through the haze of blood and pain. He blinked slowly, looking up into violet eyes staring down at him. He blinked and pulled away from her.

"Sorry," he whispered, his throat hoarse. Just how much had he been screaming in his sleep?

"Are you okay now?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch his hand. Without thinking, he snatched it away.

He lifted his head to hear a commotion in the front, and the door opened, Ulquiorra staring at him with those impassive green eyes. He walked over with purpose and grabbed Ichigo's upper arm in a bruising grip. Rukia backed away, already seeing purple bruises blossoming out around his fingers where he gripped him. He looked at him as he struggled, then yanked him off the bed to the floor, sending him sprawling. He collected himself, straightening out his clothes as he came at him again, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him up.

"Ow, stop, you're going to break my wrist!" he whined, feeling the bones grate. Ulquiorra stopped applying pressure.

"The application of pain does have a desirable effect," he commented as Ichigo squirmed, trying to pry his hand off his wrist.

He glanced at Rukia who had backed herself to the wall. "You do not know your place yet, trash," he commented staring at her. "Get out," he said stoicly, and Rukia's eyes widened.

"You're not…not here…" she gasped, staring at Ichigo, the brilliant purple bruise on his upper arm such a contrast to his tan skin.

He fixed her with another impassive stare. "Get out. Unless you wish to watch, that is, then by all means stay."

Rukia gasped, locking eyes with Ichigo who was suddenly terrified of the much smaller man that held his wrist in a death grip. She backed out of the room, then, nearly running over the door as she slammed it shut behind her, running into the living area with the others. Inoue grabbed her and she held onto her friend. Rukia was shaking, tears falling from her eyes. Yes, they knew what was going on, and they couldn't stop it, but now, in the very room, and still they were helpless.

"What's he…" Renji said, stirring from where he had been tossed into the wall when the green eyed espada had entered. He then heard the sound of something hitting the door in the room, shaking it in the frame. He visibly blanched. "No fucking way, he's not…where we…"

A strangled cry escaped the door, something between a plea and a scream. Inoue pulled Rukia even closer as the sound repeated, and again as there was a loud thumping sound. Chad couldn't stand still any longer and he rushed in a few long strides to pull at the door handle. But even Chad's immense strength could break the barrier the cuarta espada had placed around the room after he entered. Then the door opened and the espada stood there, his clothes splattered with blood, bright against the white. Chad could hear Ichigo's heavy breathing in the room beyond but couldn't see him.

Ulquiorra sighed and glanced out at the others. "This is the last time I will speak these words. Should any of you interfere, I will cut his throat myself and leave him to bleed to death at your feet. His reiatsu is at a minimum, and he will not be able to stop me from doing it."

The door slammed shut and there was crash against it as the whole door and frame shivered at the force. Ishida had come up to drag Chad away, and noticed a trickle of blood along the edge of the bottom of the door.

"Chad, we can't help him now," he said softly. "If we want to help at all, he has to live through this," he whispered softly. Chad reluctantly allowed himself to be led from the door but flinched as a loud yelping sound suddenly erupted.


	5. Swallowed Up in Green

He really was not sure what to expect when Ulquiorra came into the room. He practically exuded dominance, something Ichigo had not sensed the night before. Before he'd merely watched, impassively, almost uninterested, and now he was nearly crushing his wrist. He vaguely heard some barb at Rukia and the midget ran out the door faster than a shot. The door slammed and he found himself slammed up against it, hard.

Those green eyes were inches from his own, their noses touching, and both of them breathing fast. He let his aching wrist go and planted both hands on his shoulders and pulled him down. Ichigo wasn't sure what to expect, those eyes were so piercing, and no smile or frown creased his lips. He whimpered slightly as he was suddenly crushed in a kiss from the impassive creature in front of him. He certainly didn't expect the tongue that requested entrance gently along his lip. He sighed and felt his carful ministrations of that tongue, as if he were exploring.

Then he dropped his head to Ichigo's neck and proceeded to bite and nip the flesh. After a moment of that, he was lifted up and tossed onto the bed with Ulquiorra on top of him, pulling the sparse top off him and continuing to bite and nip down his body, droplets of blood collecting on his own white top as he went. Ichigo was moaning low in his throat, baring his softest flesh to it. It felt…good, not like when Nnoitra had bitten him and all he felt was hot pain.

Ulquiorra flipped him off the bed with one hand and stood and went to the door again. Ichigo was tangled in the bed sheets now and couldn't hear what was happening, but another minute and he found himself free and slamming into the door again, this time as the still amazingly impassive espada untied the obi and yanked the hakama off. He bit down into the soft flesh, and Ichigo couldn't hold back the moan of pain and pleasure, something like please whispering out in the middle. But please, please keep it up, he thought, it felt amazing, the shorter man working his tongue over his collar bone, lapping at any residual blood.

Ulquiorra was actually panting at the exertion. He stared at the boy as he writhed on the bed, blood beading where his nips had pierced the skin. He'd attained a full body blush and lay back in that typical beta submission, his hands at his sides, eyes downcast, only looking up if he were told to do so. For a human, the hollow instincts were so strong in him. Without thinking, he raked everything off the table beside the bed and lifted him up, slamming him down in a sitting position on the table, getting a delightful moan out of him. It seemed the pleasure and pain was beginning to mesh together as one. Well, that was how it was for hollows.

Ichigo didn't know what to do, sitting there, watching as the pale man slowly shucked his clothes, laying them across the chair, and Ichigo marveled at how such a small man was so fully equipped. By now he'd resigned himself, the hollow kept pumping more and more hormones into him, sending him into submission mode, and it was getting harder and harder to fight it. He leaned forward and nuzzled against the raven haired espada, and then leaned back tracing the four on his chest.

Before he knew it those hands were back, yanking him into a full kiss sitting on the little table. It sent shivers of pleasure that all seemed to fall directly into his throbbing arousal. He smiled, sending Ichigo into a shock of amazement for a second. He wasn't sure this espada could smile. He then stepped back and began to redress, leaving Ichigo stunned and panting.

"What…what are you doing?" he whispered, flushing despite himself.

Ulquiorra looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you wish to continue?"

Ichigo swallowed, suddenly being asked such a question. "I don't have much choice, right?"

Those green eyes seemed to bore into him. "I noticed that your friends desire to defend your honor. I notice that you were somewhat pleased with Grimmjow's attentions, but were not pleased with that of Nnoitra. I've concluded that for me to acquire the most of this encounter is to have you willingly submit."'

Every part of him was screaming to tell him no, to just leave him alone, but there was a deep need that was burning to satisfied, and this mysterious man might feel that need. He slowly looked up at him and nodded. Ulquiorra returned the nod, then handed him his clothes.

"Dress, I believe your friends will not be of the opinion that you are a willing participant, despite that fear I saw in your eyes last night," he said turning his back as Ichigo shrugged into his clothes, his wrist aching as he did so.

Ulquiorra grabbed him, thankfully by the other wrist and drug him from the room, his fast hot and flushed from the encounter, and then pulled him roughly, stumbling as he went to the sealed door in the front. He glanced over his shoulder, connecting eyes with Rukia's wide purple ones and tried to give a weak smile as he was yanked through the doorway and grabbed up into Ulquiorra's arms in a sonido.

When they came out, they were at his personal castle, and he let him down, leading him by the arm through the white expanse into his private quarters. He left Ichigo to stand at the foot of the bed while he disrobed himself again, and Ichigo was once more amazed at the man before him. Then he looked up to see him pulling off his clothes, far more gently than he would have imagined.

He grabbed the obi and pulled it all the way off, keeping it as he let Ichigo's hakama slip over his hips. He then steered him to the bed, where he quickly wrapped his wrists in the obi sash and tied them above him at the head. Ichigo looked questioningly at him.

"I love to hear the sounds you make," he said by way of explanation.

With that, he dove to kissing him again, eliciting the desired moans and pants of pleasure. He worked his way slowly, painfully slowly if Ichigo had to say anything about it, down to his thighs. The gasping and shuttering breaths were making Ulquiorra's breath come faster. He'd never really felt this sensation, this unbridled lust, and he wanted to make it last as long as he could. He could feel the strain on the sash as Ichigo desperately wanted to touch him, but that, of course, was the fun. To make him whimper and moan and beg. He'd already gotten him to agree, even want, him to do this to him. Now… the rest was for his own pleasure.

He started at his toes, getting an unexpected yelp as his tongue encircled the digits. Well who would have guessed his toes would be so sensitive. He took his time, sucking on each one in turn and when he looked up, he would have thought the shinigami's eyes were going to roll from his head. Interesting reaction, he thought to himself. He decided to continue to investigate these reactions. He moved slowly, trailing wet kisses along his calves and up his thighs, and as he got closer to his arousal, he felt the muscles of his legs clench and his body flex. He then sat back and looked the boy over, reaching out and gently touching him, just with the pad of his index finger.

Running his finger around the base, he threaded it through soft orange curls, down to his testicles, causing a shriek of pleasure as he gently ran his finger down to the soft perineum. He dallied there for a moment, back and forth and up again. The orange headed shinigami was practically beside himself, jerking wildly against the bonds. He smiled to himself then pushed himself up over him, rubbing his own hardness against him as he bucked wildly trying desperately to get some friction to relieve his own pain. He kissed him then, tongue delving into his mouth, soft but strong and then pulled back, pressing his fingers into his mouth gently. He greedily sucked his fingers in, knowing what he was doing and as the heat built wanting it desperately. His tongue traced around each finger, slipping between and down again and again until he pulled his fingers out, only to drop down again between his legs.

Once again, he stroked that places that made him whimper. He was waiting for the thing that would make him act.

"Ulquiorra, please…"he breathed.

"Please what?" he said, exhaling softly on the straining length in front of him.

He was blushing but was so heated up. "Do it…please…I need it…"

Ulquiorra was enjoying this far too much. "Do what, Ichigo? What do you need?" He ghosted his fingers over his perineum again, barely brushing against the ring of muscles below it.

"Ngh, please….fuck me, please now, I can't stand it!" he finally moaned, a positively wonton sound falling from his lips with it.

That was what he'd been waiting for, watching as he plunged a finger in past the ring, and his hips buck up to meet him, quickly following with a second and third, feeling the muscles tense deliciously against his fingers. Nothing, he was sure, compared to what he would be feeling in a moment buried in him. He played for a bit, watching his own fingers dip in and out of that tight opening with fascination. Then the moaning above him got his attention. The boy was going to come before he even laid a hand on him if he wasn't careful.

He pulled his fingers away and heard a whimper above him. More of those amazing sounds. He'd never known so many different sounds of pleasure could come out of a body. He was quite enjoying it. He moved upward, finding his lover still pulling against the restraints on his wrists. To his surprise he felt those long, lean legs wrapping about his waist and grinding against him. Ulquiorra rarely smiled, but he did now. He seated himself up on his knees and watched or a moment as those lovely brown eyes locked with his, the want and need thrumming through them. He wondered briefly how much was the hollow and how much was the human? Then all thoughts were gone as he pressed into him, slowly and steadily, giving him much needed time to adjust as he did. He was very much in control of his impulses. Something he could not say for Grimmjow and Nnoitra.

But soon his legs were wrapped around him and he was bucking against him urging him onward, so he slid the rest of the way into the incredibly tight, hot space and found himself gasping. Underneath him, he was trying to reach for him with his hands so he leaned over and pulled the sash and found Ichgio's hands digging immediately through his hair, yanking and tugging him down so he positively ravaged Ulquiorra's neck with bites and kisses.

"Move," he purred in his ear. Ulquiorra had remained still, warmly sheathed inside, waiting for him to beg him again. "Please, move," he moaned, eyes tearing up.

So he complied, slowly at first, but the furious way he met his thrusts, made him set a faster pace, and every time he hit that bundle of nerves inside him, he'd squeal in the most delightful way. He reached down between them to rub his hand along his own arousal and felt him arch under him and gasp. The offer of his neck was too much, so Ulquiorra leaned down and took advantage, sucking and licking, nipping lightly at his adam's apple as he rode into him desperate for release.

"P-please…faster…" he moaned. "I'm…gonna…" And again he couldn't resist the desperate begging as with a smirk he increased his pace to a fever pitch, one hand buried in the orange hair, the other carefully attending to his cock playfully, but steadily. Finally, with one last thrust into his sweet spot, Ichigo arched his back in such a beautiful way that it took Ulquiorra's breath away. The sudden clenching of his body around his own arousal sent him straight over the edge after a couple more long and deep thrusts into him. He felt the reiatsu flare out around him, encompassing them both in the green energy. He slowly rocked back and forth, riding out his high as the orange haired shinigami collapsed into a panting heap below him.

Ulquiorra pulled away, and lay beside him, watching his eyes blink in the bleary post orgasm haze. He ran a hand over his chest, and Ichigo turned to him, still breathless. "What was all that about back there?"

He smiled, lighting up his green eyes, and shocking Ichigo at the sight. "You are prideful, Kurosaki Ichigo. You fear them knowing there is even a small part of you enjoying this. I wished an entirely pleasurable experience, and decided that perhaps that would be the only way to get it out of you completely. I watched you last night, and you had lust in your eyes and you did come to completion. Even if Nnoitra's methods were less than desirable, I am grateful. If the woman had not healed you, you would be with cubs from one or both of them."

He ran a hand over the place he'd bitten earlier. "I hope you are not in too much pain, since the woman cannot heal you again?"

He shook his head and instead grabbed the smaller espada and pulled him to him. "Thank you," he whispered, and fell asleep in his arms.

Ulquiorra watched him for a long moment. Then he pulled a blanket over him, and decided to stay there. His hand brushed lightly over the bruise he'd given him at first and a flicker of regret tainted his green eyes. If the shinigami were not so stubborn, it would not have been necessary. But he, though not one to show emotion, knew them when he saw them. And the look when he was given a reason to be put through this, to protect his friends, he knew that he had to make this easier on him. And he had no idea why he cared so much.

-Another part of Las Noches—

Nnoitra paced, his long steps bringing him back and forth across the room quickly. He looked up as Grimmjow came sauntering in and fixed him with a glare.

"What the fuck you want? Dumb ass, ya nearly screwed everything up with fucking Kurosaki, twice," Grimmjow snarled.

Nnoitra wanted to sling a biting comment back but didn't. "Fuck, I know, okay! How many humans have I fucked since I became an arrancar, bastard!"

Grimmjow rubbed his nose. "Well, what you did was fuckin' knock both our asses out of the running to be the sire."

"What? Even with those injuries, it wouldn't have affected the reiatsu chamber for anther month," he said his normally wide grin turning into a frown.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "No, idiot, however being healed by the woman got rid of any trace of foreign reiatsu!"

Nnoitra sat down, dropping his hands between his knees. "Well, that's fuckin' great."

"Yeah, think about that the next time he comes into heat, okay? If you don't hold back next time, you really will kill him. And I really don't want to fight you because you killed some stupid beta," Grimmjow said wandering off.

Nnoitra sat and thought. He really hadn't meant it to happen that way. He honestly didn't know how to hold back, not when he was fighting or fucking. If someone was weaker, they deserved what they got. Of course, that was something different when dealing with a beta like Kurosaki. His body might appear frail now, but he was more than capable in battle and with a vasto lorde hollow under the surface of his soul, whatever young he had was going to completely eclipse them all in power. And dammit, he'd wanted to be the sire just as much as the rest. But in the end it wasn't up to him. Whatever reiatsu was released, in the end, only the young that the carrier of the child wanted would survive, the rest would returning to the cycle of life. He should have known that. By doing what he had done in the midst of lust, he'd destroyed any chance of the beta carrying for him. He would have to make it up to the beta. Show him that he was a good sire too.

He got up and headed out. They only had a week to implant the reiatsu, and he could only carry two to three at a time. Whoever he made the biggest emotional attachment to would win in this fight for dominance over each other. And he would be damned if he was completely out of the running yet. Grimmjow hadn't started out well, but if the bursting reiatsu from Ulquiorra was any indication, it seemed his tryst had fared significantly better than the first two. The game was on.

-Captive's room—

The door opened and everyone jumped up as it shut just as quickly leaving a very bleary eyed Ichigo standing there. He looked like he'd just woke up, his hair mussed and rubbing his eyes. No one saw who shoved him into the room. He looked around, looking rather confused at the moment.

"Hey, you okay?" Rukia asked coming up and putting a hand on him.

"Yeah, just…fine…" he said and slumped to the floor in a heap.

Renji dropped his cup and came over to kneel beside him, Rukia checking him over hurriedly. Chad had gone to grab Inoue from her room. She came skidding out and looked him over, almost calling her sun sun riki then stopped. Instead, she rolled him onto his back, and looked him over. He was still wearing the white outfit from the day before, and she could see some bruising and marks around his neck and throat, but nothing serious, and she pressed along his stomach his reiatsu flared out at her, pushing her back. She sat back and looked at the others.

"It's just the first stages, dears," a voice said from behind them. They turned to see the pink haired espada looking down at them. "It's had overnight to gestate, so the strain will start to show on him. Now we just have a few more days before we find out which ones take."

Rukia looked up and frowned. "What in the world are you talking about? If he's been…impregnated…can't you leave him alone?"

Szayel arched a brow. "Of course not, this is a fight to see who is strongest, and anywhere from one to three chambers will be formed, and until this week is done, we won't know which espada's issue will survive. It will depend on him, which ones he accepts and which ones he rejects. So it is probably best you rejected the first two attempts, after all, I doubt he would have wanted to keep either Grimmjow or Nnoitra's issue after their rough treatment. Though Grimmjow wasn't so bad with him."

There was a pause. "You mean he has a choice in this?" Renji asked, frowning.

Szayel sighed. "Yes and no, you people are so dense. The hollow, I guess I should say, will choose. The human is just a vessel along for the ride answering to the needs of the hollow's heat cycle which Grimmjow initiated. And we have five more days before that ends and things are decided in the lovely little beta's body. And I do hope it is favorable, because if he ends up not with at least one of the espada's children, Aizen's already ordered his disposal."


	6. The Wolf's Den

Ichigo blinked and yawned. He was in another white room, but he didn't remember where. He vaguely remembered Ulquiorra taking him back after their encounter and he was so tired still. He was starving though. He glanced down and felt weird.

 _Ah, the first reiatsu is starting to form,_ his hollow voice said in his head. _Looks like you enjoyed your encounter with the bat-boy._

Ichigo refused to answer, standing up slowly, yelping as the sudden pain shot up his back. The door flew open and Rukia and Renji both rushed in asking if he was okay, if he needed anything. He just shoved both of them out of the way and headed into the bathroom, and proceeded to vomit violently nothing but bile. He felt them watching him as he sat back against the counter.

"What?" he muttered and looked away.

Rukia kneeled beside him, not talking for a long time, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, you know."

He frowned at her. "What are you sorry about, midget?"

"I pulled you into all this mess," she said quietly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and stood up, shakily enough that Renji's hand shot out to steady him. He looked at the red head thankfully, then headed out into the kitchen. They followed and watched as he started putting together something for them to eat.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ichigo, you just…" Rukia said.

Ichigo glared at her. "I'm starving, okay," he said, and commenced working.

After a while, he'd managed to fix some sort of rice curry and set it out, scarfing it down as fast as he could. Uryu, Chad, and Inoue had wandered in to see what he was doing. He smiled up at them around his food.

"Are you well, Kurosaki?" Uryu said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

He thoughtfully chewed. "Yeah, I am today. I hope those bastards give me a break," he muttered, shifting in the chair a bit uncomfortably, he may heal fast but damn he was sore.

"Szayel came in and told us something a bit unsettling after you passed out this morning," Uryu continued. Ichigo looked over at him.

"Yeah, what could possibly be more unsettling than the current situation?" he groused.

Uryu cleared his throat. "It seems Aizen's decided that if you don't conceive with at least one of the espada, he's going to 'dispose' of you. And apparently, you have some control over that, which is why he wants to make sure you know."

"Lemme find out," he muttered and closed his eyes.

He reached out for the infernal hollow. _Yes, king?_

_What is he talking about, that I have control over the conception thing?_

A snicker punctuated his mind. _Of course. It's a game of dominance after all. Until the cubs are born, and ya figure out their sire, ya don't know. Ya can reject all of it, but doing so comes at a cost. A hollow beta that goes through heat cycles with no issue loses their reiatsu, and it never replenishes, making them weaker and weaker, until they are consumed or finally relent and give birth._

 _So how do I make sure I, you know, keep it? Aizen says he's going to kill me if I don't._ Ichigo's inner voice shook slightly, though whether from the idea of losing the life that was possibly growing inside him or the idea of being killed outright, he wasn't sure.

_Do you want to king? I'll let you know by the end what happens._

He opened his eyes and found the others staring at him. "Yeah, well, damn, guess that's the way it works."

The door popped open suddenly and they were staring at the scantly clad girl that followed the primera espada around. She put her hands on her hips and glared at the room. Ichigo felt a sense of impending dread.

"Beta, Stark wants to see you," she said, hand cocked on her hip.

Ichigo bristled. "I'm not answering to that."

She glared at him. "You…" she started and then seemed to think better. "Stark wants you to come with me, and I'm not leaving until you do."

Ichigo leaned back and crossed his arms. "Well, then you can wait."

The green haired girl was obviously restraining herself. Stark had wanted to have his shot, after all, and Lilynette wasn't to piss off the beta too badly. "Okay, look, maybe Stark can work on getting one of your friend's back home if you come along nicely."

She saw his eyes light up. "You serious?"

"Come and play nice with his lazy ass, and we'll see, beta," she said.

Ichigo swallowed hard and nodded, all those around the table shaking their heads. "Kurosaki, you can't…" Uryu began.

Ichigo put a hand on the protesting Quincy's shoulder. "Yeah, I can. Even a small chance to send you guys home, I can."

He walked off with her, letting her guide him into a sonido on the other side of the door. The trip wasn't far but soon they were in front of yet another of those annoyingly similar white doors. He was tired but he could feel the power radiating from the primera. Only the strongest could stand to be around him, his power far too great for weaker ones.

Lillynette pushed the door open and shoved Ichigo in, then stomped over to a massive mountain of pillows on which the espada was currently snoring. She leaped onto him, making him grunt. He looked up, blinking, and scratching the jaw bone on his neck.

"Your fuck toy is here, Stark. Get it over with, I'm not wandering around all day," she growled, slapping him soundly.

She stalked out, fixing Ichigo with a glare as she passed him. The door slammed and Ichigo was unsure what to do. He was standing in the front of a room like most others, but while there was a sofa, the larger part was the massive area of pillows the tall, dark espada had snuggled into. He looked up and beackoned to Ichigo, who slowly walked over to him, not really sure what was expected. Well, he knew what was expected, but he wanted to know if Lillynette had been telling the truth.

"She said that if I came here that maybe you could help my friends," he said quietly, the mountain of dominance escalating in the room as he stood there. He was frantically resisting the urge to drop to his knees.

Stark lazily pushed himself up on one side, putting on fist under the side of his face. "Yeah, I can probably do that. Can't send them all home, but I'll see. If you do what I say, that is."

Ichigo nodded, his head coming up, showing that he was not doing this because of the submission to him but because he was doing so willingly. "I…I'll do anything you want me to."

Stark gave him a lazy smile then rolled onto his back and waved him over. He looked up at him. "Strip," he said matter of factly, almost looking disinterested.

Ichigo swallowed and shrugged out of the short kusodo, letting it fall behind him. He then pulled the obi, letting it fall away, the hakama following on their own after a second. He stood there, feeling the primera's eyes rake lazily over him. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He wasn't moving, just staring.

"Touch yourself, get yourself hard," he said, tilting his head to the side.

Ichigo swallowed, thinking this was a new one. He hadn't expected the most powerful espada in the place to be a voyeur. But then, he did seem pretty lazy. He reminded him of the captain with the pink kimono that drank sake.

He flushed, looking down, his arousal already starting to awaken from him staring at him like that. He reached down and began to stroke himself, watching the espada the entire time. If it wasn't for the subtle smirk that tugged at his lips, he would have thought he was sleeping with his eyes open. He nodded when Ichigo stopped, his body having reached what he would consider full arousal.

"Continue until its dripping."

The shinigami bit his lip and proceeded to pump himself slowly. He kept thinking if he did what he asked, then he would send someone home. Maybe he could get him to send Chad, Inoue and Ishida home. Rukia and Renji could handle being here easier than the others. After a minute his hand was slick with the leaking fluids and Stark smiled.

"Good. Take off my clothes."

Ichigo dropped to his knees, slipping as the pillows slid here and there around him, and pulled open the top, undoing the thick black sash at his waste that held the coat over him. He shrugged it off his shoulders, and realized, the lazy bastard wasn't moving at all. He pushed it down his arms and finally he lifted up so the top part of his uniform was off. Ichigo pulled loose the obi, and wondered vaguely how to pull his hakama off while he was sitting in the nest of pillows. So he pushed it down, and was rewarded by the man raising his hips to let him pull the white fabric off of him. Apparently, his body, while lazy, was certainly active somewhere else.

"Come here, sit with your back to me," he said, motioning to his chest.

Ichigo was confused but before he knew it he was swung around, losing his balance and burying his head in the man's crotch. He heard a chuckle. His face was red, and he lifted himself up, his hands on either side of the man's hips, his mouth inches above his weeping arousal. He felt him pull his hips and he was lying across him, ankles now pinned under his armpits. He blinked, momentarily thinking that this was an incredibly undignified position. He felt a push on his backside, and got the idea.

He leaned down and began to lap at the tip of the man's large member. He could tell he was going to have a sore jaw, and ass, after this was done. The man had massive girth. Guess there was more than one reason he was primera. He was getting flushed, and wanted to take him into his mouth, to see if he tasted the same as Ulquiorra. He felt his hands tighten on his hips, and while it was disconcerting, being unable to see what was happening to his nether regions, he dove down onto him, taking him halfway before he gaged and came up.

He earned a gasp below him then gasped himself as he felt questing fingers around his entrance. He moaned onto the cock in his mouth as those fingers pushed up and down the perineum and then just around the ring of muscles. Then he let go of his other hip and reached between them, grabbing him at the base and squeezing. Ichigo nearly choked. Then he felt the first hand brushing against the tip, and realized he was coating his fingers with the leaking fluids. Then his hand was gone, and now back, slipping around those muscles, to which he started bucking his hips back against him. Stark smirked, brushing his fingers around the tight circle again.

For someone so unwilling at first, he was certainly learning to love the attention. He slipped a finger inside, amazed at how tightly it was squeezed. It was like it was his first time. He supposed the hollow regeneration was certainly at work with that. He fiddled, feeling the shinigami wiggle and waggle in a sinful way in front of his face. He then pushed in a second, and crooked his fingers, striking unerringly for what he was looking for. The ensuing moan and teeth tightening on his cock confirmed how sensitive the boy was. His hierro pretected him, even if the teeth would have drawn blood on a lesser being. He forced the third in, then wondered what it would be like to put all four inside, it was something new, and he was bored with the same things.

He felt his body stiffen as he worked a fourth finger into the space, and the ensuing moan of pleasure and pain made him shiver. The skillful way the boy was gobbling down on him didn't help. He worked all for up and would curve to strike his prostate every second or third finger thrust. It seemed that he liked it. He then wiggled his large, flat thumb into the ring and he jerked on top of him, a loud whine coming from his mouth, but his sucking and licking didn't stop. So Stark played a little more, working his fingers into him a little at a time, and stretching the muscle as he did. He knew he couldn't put much more into him, he hadn't thought to grab any lube, and he really didn't want to hurt him. So he carefully began backing his bunched digits out one at a time, leaving him whimpering.

He then couldn't resist as he laid a sound slap on his pale cheeks, to which he popped up and turned to fix him with a glare. He smirked and then, faster than Ichigo could react, he was spun around, now seated in the lap of the espada. He leaned back and put both hands behind his head.

"Ride me," he said cooly.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "I…don't know…what…." He stammered. Stark smiled.

He grasped his hips and pushed upward until he was on his knees, then Ichigo got the idea. He reached down and grasped the man's saliva slick member and positioned it at his own entrance, closing his eyes as he eased himself down, stopping halfway, heart beating a frantic rhythm, and trying to adjust to the fullness and pain. But, despite his lazy attitude, the primera had grown impatient, and thrust his hips upward and he shoved down on Ichigo's hips. A long low gasp turned moan worked its way from Ichigo's lips as tears sprang into his eyes from the sudden, deep penetration. Stark lifted his legs up behind him, giving him something to lean back against. It didn't take long for him to start rolling his hips and bouncing up and down, angling his hips to hit that spot that made the world go silent white. Starck reached out and began to pump his own needy cock as he began bouncing on Stark's length, nearly coming off at a point or two in his frantic need to come to completion.

Stark took in the picture. He was leaned back, a hand gripping each of his knees, his body covered in sweat, head thrown back in a silent scream. His breaths came fast as his chest heaved as his body moved up and down on him in the most exquisitely erotic fashion he'd ever seen.

"Oh, Stark," he muttered, "I'm close…oh let me…"

Stark smiled and began to franticly pump the boy in time with his own hard strokes. Stark was relatively sure he couldn't have pounded into his ass much harder than the boy was doing on his own. Each time he came down, Stark felt the vibration through his entire pelvis. Finally, he flicked his finger over and under the sensitive tip and the boy arched back in a beautiful way, his body riding up and down harder than ever, and the clenching feeling sending Stark completely over with a breathy moan. Brilliant reiatsu burst around them, almost shaking the walls of Stark's barriered room. Ichigo rode it out, slower now, but it was like he was milking every drop from him. Finally he fell forward onto him, his arms encircling his neck, and his mouth attacking him ravenously, tongue slipping in and out, finding every spot. Stark allowed it, a smile tugging at his lips.

Then he flipped their position, pinning him into the mound of pillows and ravaging his mouth on his own. He thought briefly that this was backwards, generally the kissing took place first, but well, Stark never did anything the way everyone else. After a few moments of wrestling their breath away, Ichigo laid his head on his chest, just below the bone around his throat. He hadn't said anything but soon his breath evened out and he realized he'd fallen asleep. He looked down, they were both quite a mess, but damn, he was too lazy to get up and wash up. Instead he buried his face in the orange hair and fell asleep himself.

Lillynette hadn't been sure what to expect when she returned after the massive burst of reiatsu from the room. Sure he'd kicked the stupid shinigami out, she barged in the stopped. Ichigo was sprawled out under one of Stark's arms, his head tucked under the mask, and Stark had fallen asleep with his head tilted against him. He snored loudly and shifted. They were both naked and covered with…oh she didn't even want to think about that. She snorted and grabbed a blanket and tossed it over them, avoiding looking at them as she did it. Any other day she would have berated him, but she saw the look on his face, even in sleep, he wasn't feeling lonely.

-Captive's Room—

It was late in the afternoon when the outer door opened and the short arrancar shoved Ichigo into the room. "Take a fuckin' shower," she stated as Ichigo stared back at her. "I have to wash Stark's nasty ass, I am not washing your's. Nasty men and your stuff." To Ichigo's horror, all five of his friends were sitting around the living area, looking at him with wide eyes. She gave them a wicked grin. She left and Ichigo almost ran into the wall trying to get into one of the bedrooms into the shower.

Lillynette had dragged him up, pushing his hakama at him, then grabbed his kusoda and yanked him away. He hadn't even gotten to wipe the traces of their activity away before he slept, and it felt disgusting. He'd somehow managed to get both feet in the hakama first, luckily, but he had to hold them up without his obi in place. Now he stood in the shower and realized his clothes were badly soiled now. There was no way he could wear them again. He quickly washed away Stark, and to a point Ulquiorra since he hadn't done much other than wipe himself down after him. And damn he was sore. He really hoped they'd let him be tonight and tomorrow.

Then a sudden wave of vetigo shot over him and he stumbled into the wall behind him hard enough to crack the back of his head and send blood flowing down his back. He moaned, the world wavering and felt himself sliding down, and watched as bloody water swirled around the drain. He vaguely heard someone ask if he was okay before he blacked out.

Rukia heard the cracking sound and was up on her feet headed toward the doorway, before Renji stopped her and fixed her with a glare. She pursed her lips and got it. Ichigo was having a hard enough time, she didn't need to add to his embarrassment by barging in on him in the shower. So Renji had run in, the others watching from their seated position.

"Ishida! I need a hand!" Renji called. Ishida jumped up and followed into the bedroom and then the bathroom where Renji was trying to heft Ichigo out of the stall. There was blood on the wall and Uryu could see blood dripping down from his head which was against Renji's shoulder.

"Grab his feet, let's get him on the bed," he said and Uryu did just that, trying to ignore the nudity of the man in front of him.

Once they'd laid him down Uryu looked at his head, which was still bleeding, but it looked like a nasty laceration from hitting the wall. He pressed a towel against it while Renji grabbed the sheet and covered him up.

"It needs to be stitched," he said, noting that it was still bleeding pretty good.

"I don't even know how to get that crazy pink haired guy in here!" Renji said, staring. "Stay there, I'll try to pound on the door or something. I can't imagine them being far off if they're going to dump him in here with us in the condition he's in."

He stepped out with a frown. "I don't know," he answered to the stares. "Lost his balance and hit his head in the shower and got it split open, he needs it stitched, Ishida says."

He headed toward the front door and beat on it for a bit. "Hey you bastards, Ichigo needs some help in here! Unless you want me to have Inoue do it!"

A second later the door opened to reveal the pink haired arrancar. "Yes?"

"He fell in the shower for some reason, and split his head open, you might want to fix it," Renji said tightly.

If he hadn't been so mad he might have seen the worried look briefly, ever so briefly, cross the face of the espada of madness. He nodded, and left, returning a moment later with a silver cart like one would see in a hospital. He wheeled it in to where Uryu was putting pressure on his head. Szayel clucked and took over, then put a towel under his head. He then picked up a squeeze bottle with something clear and flushed the area, clearing most the blood. He quickly plucked up a needle and swiftly put four stitches in place. He dabbed up any other wetness and then saw he was coming around.

He looked up in the face of the blasted pink haired arrancar. "What are you doing here?" he muttered.

"Well, someone has to stitch your scalp together. What happened?"

Ichigo tried to sit but then thought better of it. "I don't know, I just got really dizzy and the world tilted and then I fell and blacked out."

He reached out and felt his forehead, noticing the increased temperature. He frowned. "It seems being half human has roughly halved his time for conception, he's got until the end of today, I think, before the cubs take, whoever they belong to. He's got to rest for a while, keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't die before I get back with the monitors. Nothing more to be done, it's up to him how he deals with the matter inside him at the end of this day. The reiatsu chambers will form, or if they don't, he'll lose a significant part of his own reiatsu in the process, on a permanent basis. Well, before Aizen has him disposed of, I suppose."


	7. Sexta and Six

"What?" Grimmjow asked, his face showing more than a tad of annoyance. "Szayel, seriously?"

The pink haired arrancar rolled his eyes. "Yes, his heat is cut short. Probably be finished today, his temperature is already rising. Probably because of his human half."

"Fuck!" Grimmjow muttered.

Szayel looked up from his readouts that he had taken off the beta earlier. "What is your problem? Don't bitch to me, Nnoitra is the one that fucked up your chances."

Grimmjow grinned suddenly. "Not yet, he's not out of it yet, right?"

"Oh, Grimmjow, that's not a good idea, he's at his most fragile now, if you're too rough with him, you'll kill him for sure, and if Inoue has to heal him, he'll lose the cubs and Aizen's ordered his death if he doesn't conceive."

Grimmjow frowned. "He what?"

Szayel waved a hand at him. "What do you expect? He's too dangerous to leave running around free, and no amount of testing has told me anything significant about his unique physiology, so if he isn't used to produce offspring, he has no place here. So if he doesn't have at least one gestating by tomorrow, he'll be dead by midday, along with all his precious friends."

Grimmjow was then ushered out of the room and shoved his hands in his pocket. Well, that fucking sucked. He had no idea how things had gone with Stark and Ulquiorra, but the massive reiatsu he felt meant that they'd had a chance. The question remained, how badly had the first incident with him and Nnoitra scarred him? Would he want to keep any of them or would he let them go, and sentence himself to death? Would he prefer death to this life?

The question left the espada cold. Despite himself, he couldn't stand the thought of the kid dying like that. So, that left one option. Nnoitra and him both had to fix it. Or there might never be another chance with Kurosaki again. And to Grimmjow's surprise, he wanted that chance. Blinking, he headed off in search of Nnoitra's reiatsu. He was outside hassling some weak hollows. Massacring was more like it.

"Yo, Nnoitra!" he yelled, and the lanky arrancar turned to him, his eyes narrowed.

"Fuck you want?" he called back, sauntering over to him.

Grimmjow waited until he was over close, replacing his enormous weapon on his back. "Its about Kurosaki. We got a problem."

Nnoitra frowned. "What kind of problem?"

"Szayel told me his heat's ending early, probably today, but worse than that. Aizen's ordered his execution tomorrow if none of the cubs take. So if he rejects them, that's it," he said, scratching his jaw under the bone mask.

Nnoitra was silent a second. "The fuck is he thinking? Even if they didn't take, he's still a fuckin' kick ass beta!"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Look, I'm fuckin' thinking that we gotta show him that this life here, with all of us, ain't that fuckin' bad, even after the shit you pulled."

The tall espada frowned again. "Fuck, yer right, sexta. I hate to fuckin' admit it. But your right. What do you want to do about it?"

Grimmjow thought for a second. "Well, show him that we're not fuckin' assholes. I know he's been to Stark and Ulquiorra. And he's no worse for the wear afterward, so maybe if you can fuckin' keep from killing him, and show him you're not so much of a fucking monster…"

Nnoitra was silent for a long and thoughtful moment. "Okay, take him to the fuckin' garden. Those shinigami like that place, and I'll grab a couple things from Szayel. I'll see you there."

With that, he sonidoed away, and Grimmjow headed for the room where he was at. It was his last shot and he had no idea why in the world he cared so much about it. At first it was a race to dominate him the most. Then it was a matter of who could make the strongest issue. But now, there was something else to it. And Grimmjow didn't fuckin' like it at all.

-Captive Room—

Ichigo woke up, a sharp pain lancing his head. He reached up and felt the stitched wound. He was in the bed, and it couldn't have been much later because he wasn't hungry yet. He felt fuzzy and tired, and the hollow was silent for now inside his head. He sat up and realized he was still naked. He wrapped the sheet up around his waist, and looked in the bathroom. His previous clothes were gone. He poked a head out of the door to see the others in various positions around the room. Renji looked up.

"Hey, you're awake!" he said, standing. "You've only been out an hour or so, you okay?"

Ichigo nodded, everyone's attention turning on him. "Um, yeah, ah, did they happen to leave any clothes?"

Renji shook his head. "No, Szayel took the ones you left in the bathroom, but didn't bring any back…"

He frowned. "Well, damn. Guess I get to toga it, huh?"

He stepped back and tied the sheet at his waist and tossed the remaining piece up over his shoulder and tucked it into the makeshift waist of the pants. He looked at it and nodded. Well, it actually covered more than the ridiculous outfit they'd given him. So he headed into the kitchen, only wobbling once or twice, and rummaged in the fridge to find something to drink. There was a sound though as the doorway was unsealed and he heard exclamations from the room.

"What do you want?" Renji's voice floated in to him. He headed back in to see Grimmjow standing with his back to the wall beside the door.

"Yo, come on, got something to show you, Kurosaki," he said mildly.

He paused, the glass at his lips and twitched unconsciously. "Um, what? I'm not going with you, Grimmjow. I'm tired."

Grimmjow raised a brow. "Kurosaki, I'm asking you at this point, but I will command you."

"Then command me. At least I won't going along because I chose to."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Fuckin' prideful bastard, you know that? Come. Now."

Ichigo twitched, the glass dropping with a thump and he found himself moving forward without any thought. Renji grabbed his arm to stop him, and he looked at him, eyes clouded, and shook off the hold and continued forward.

"It doesn't work. He's under my command, shinigami," Grimmjow said, taking him and lifting him up over his shoulder, much like he'd done to start with. "When I release him, he'll be fine again. I'll bring him back, quit fuckin' worrying."

And with that, the door shut and he was gone, leaving the group in silence. They knew that the last time hadn't ended well. They could only hope that this time was different.

-Garden—

Grimmjow pushed open another similar white door and set the shinigami beta down. He then let the command go, releasing him. Ichigo blinked and looked around him. Despite himself, he gasped. He walked away from Grimmjow and found himself in a beautiful garden. There were trees, bushes, and flowers all around. There was a lazy fountain in the center. It had a blue sky above, and lush grass under his bare feet. It wasn't like anything he had seen here.

"What? How…" he asked.

Grimmjow found himself smirking. "Well, Aizen and those shinigami lackeys of his like to have something from home."

Ichigo found himself walking and brushing his hands across colorful flowers. He couldn't believe this. It was too much, really. He turned back. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Seems like I needed to make up for some things. Nnoitra too."

At his name, he saw the shudder go through the orange haired beta. He moved forward quickly and cupped his face, pulling it up to look at him. "You know, it isn't that bad to enjoy this, even the slightest bit."

Ichigo felt a dozen things. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he heard his hollow chuckling in his head. Good god, his eyes were blue. Beautiful, and blue. He blinked. What the hell? He was standing here, his heart beating out of his chest, staring into the eyes of the man that had taken everything that mattered. He swallowed.

"You took everything, Grimmjow," he said softly. "And then you left, and it was like it didn't matter to you that you…you were the first…"

Grimmjow hadn't even thought of that. Hollows don't care about who they have sex with or who is their first one, but humans and shinigami were different. Grimmjow sighed.

"I didn't understand that it meant something, then. But I know now, so I wanted to make it up, to let ya know that I'm not completely a heartless bastard. Though pretty fuckin' close," he said, running a thumb over the shinigami's jaw.

Ichigo swallowed, and felt his knees weaken and he slipped down onto him. "Oh, my head is swimming," he muttered, sitting in the soft grass.

"It will pass. You're at the end of the cycle. This is the last chance for me to give ya my own, and I would ask if you'll let me," he said, kneeling down beside him. "And Nnoitra too. He'll be here soon."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "No…no, he will hurt me again!"

Grimmjow shook his head as the door opened and closed behind him. Nnoitra walked up behind Grimmjow and Ichigo tried to pull away and looked like he wanted to run. "Stay," Grimmjow commanded, and his body froze his eyes rolling rapidly in his head.

Nnoitra kneeled down beside him, and reached up, brushing his orange bangs from his eyes. He didn't speak, and his typical grin was replaced with a slight frown. The touch sent shivers down Ichigo's body. It was gentle, though, almost like he was trying to indeed do things differently. He rolled his eyes over at him and Grimmjow released the hold on him. Ichigo shivered but didn't pull away. He continued to run his hand softly through his hair and then he realized that Nnoitra had six arms. He blinked.

"What, you're released?" he said softly, reaching up and brushing a hand down the arms that were under the shoulders. Ichigo could see the hollow hole now, where his eye should have been, and the mask was different on him. He was amazed, now, looking up at him, what an odd shade his eye was. It must have been hard to fight with only one.

"Ichigo, will ya let us make up for the first time? And show ya that it isn't about pain?" Nnoitra said finally.

Ichigo looked between them, unsure what he was going to get himself into, but between Nnoitra petting his hair, and Grimmjow's gentle touches on his face and neck, he found himself aroused by it. The soft words, and the softer looks. Were the two that so violently took him days ago? He slowly found himself giving in, nodding slowly, and with a crushing realization, that it was him, and not the hollow.

He frantically reached up and pulled Grimmjow's face down to him in a kiss that left his cheek cut lightly from the mask, but he didn't care, as Grimmjow responded, wrapping both arms aournd his half bare back and pulling him into his lap while gently, amazingly gently, dancing his tongue around inside his mouth. He felt Nnoitra then, all six of those hands, rubbing and massaging into the muscles of his back and he found himself moaning into Grimmjow's mouth. His head fell back, and Grimmjow proceeded to lay soft, wet kisses on it, sucking and nipping along the way. Then, he felt hands on his head, and Nnoitra dove into his agape mouth upside down, licking and nipping at his lips and smoothing his tongue on the underside of Ichigo's slowly. Ichigo realized his tongue was incredibly soft, and he almost thought he could feel the difference in texture between the tattoo and the normal flesh.

Grimmjow pushed the sheet he'd tucked into his waist off slowly and kept going down, kissing and nipping down his belly to finally dip his tongue into his belly button and swirl it seductively. Ichigo moaned into Nnoitra this time, who supported his back with one set of hands, while another held his head still, and the third caressed his chest and stomach. Slowly he felt Grimmjow scoot from under him, and pull his legs out flat, lowering his rear to the soft grass. He felt him pull the knot on the sheet, and felt it fall away, sending him into a hot blush at the revelation of his full arousal now.

Grimmjow shrugged off the jacket and then pulled off the thick black sash at his waist. He left the hakama fall then kneeled between his legs. His head was occupied by Nnoitra in the odd posision, so he wasn't expecting the sudden stimulation of Grimmjow's mouth on the head of his arousal. He jerked his head away from Nnoitra and stared at the man between his legs, eyes wide. Nnoitra moved a little to capture his mouth from the side now, in a more proper kiss, sliding his tongue against his lips gently until he opened his mouth in a moan as Grimmjow's mouth met the orange curls at his base.

"Oh, god, please…" he moaned into him. Grimmjow hummed against him, getting a full body shiver out of him.

Nnoitra retrieved something from his clothes with one of his hands, then gently lifted his hips with two of them enough that one hand slid underneath him and began to play with the perineum and the underside of his testicles, getting gasping moans from him. He smiled and moved down to his neck, positioning himself lower to get his hand completely in position. He placed one finger, slicked with something thick and cold, against him, and Ichigo gasped and then the finger slipped in easily. Ichigo felt it and didn't flinch, it felt cold and slippery, but amazing. He arched back against the pair of hands that still supported his back. Then a second finger followed the into him and he bucked his hips against Grimmjow's mouth as he was still sending delicious feelings through him. Then, a slight pain as a third finger joined, and all three began moving back and forth in a quick rhythm, curling and striking that spot that made his vision blank for a second.

Then he shifted, pulling his hand out and with a pair of hands began removing his clothes until Ichigo felt warm flesh behind him, and he was lifted again, Grimmjow following, never letting up on the suction as he moved. He felt himself in Nnoitra's lap, and fear shot through him.

"Shh," Nnoitra whispered. "There will be no pain this time, I made sure of it," he said as he pushed the head of his cock into his entrance, slick and warm. He threw his head back and moaned as he began to press gently into him, a little at a time, watching for any signs that he should stop but he found him bucking to pull him deeper. "See," he whispered.

Ichigo was lost in the sensation from the front, and now Nnoitra's incredibly long cock was fully buried in him, but this time, it didn't hurt at all, just felt like it was filling him to the brim. He saw Nnoitra toss a bottle at Grimmjow, who caught it without moving his mouth form Ichigo's cock. He was swirling his tongue now at the head and Ichigo was bucking against Nnoitra.

"Oh, please, I'm going…" he whispered and shot his seed into Grimmjow's mouth and was surprised to see none of it fall. He was panting, leaning into a pair of Nnoitra's arms. Nnoitra's face was painted with the pain of holding back despite the beta's orgasm around him. The tight, velvety walls stopped convulsing and he released a breath. This was quite a practice in self control.

Grimmjow moved to stand on his knees and kissed his chest as he lay in post orgasmic haze. Then, he lifted his legs over his own. Ichigo's head popped up and his eyes went wide.

"No, no, you're not going to…" he whispered.

Grimmjow placed a gentle finger on his lips and shushed him as he moved into position in front of him. He then pressed into him beside Nnoitra and he arched up at the feeling of a second person entering him. Grimmjow and Nnoitra both rubbed his back and chest and whispered words of comfort and told him to relax. Finally, he did, his body not clamping as hard on them as before, and Grimmjow gently continued, pushing inward, each inch garnering a gasp from the orangette under him. If Nnoitra hadn't been supporting his back with a pair of hands, and holding his hips with another, the boy would have collapsed. Finally, Grimmjow was fully sheathed beside Nnoitra, and neither could believe how amazing it felt, tighter and fuller than either had ever imagined. And they were very still, letting him get used to the feeling.

Finally, Ichigo let a growling sound from his throat. "Fuck, move, fuck me…"

Grimmjow and Nnoitra smiled at each other over the boy's shoulder and both began to rock back and forth into him at a painfully slow pace, one in, the other out, and back and forth. So slowly. When the shinigami seemed to be unable to take it and started bouncing on his own, they increased their pace. Grimmjow slid a hand between him and the boy and grasped his already hardened arousal, and grinned. That didn't take long. Before long, they were almost frantic, the boy screaming every time one of them brushed that sweet spot, alternating and hitting it every thrust. Finally he screamed out both their names in rapid succession and came hard over Grimmjow's furiously pumping hand.

The clenching around them was like a vice, and they both cried out at almost the same instant, shooting their own seed into him, reiatsu bursting almost violently around them both and encompassing them. They fell back, slipping out and slipping to the ground in a boneless mass. The three panted for a moment before Nnoitra called back his release and pulled Ichigo into his lap, holding tightly to him.

"What the fuck is it about ya?" he asked, seeing Grimmjow look up from his position still flat on his back in the grass. "I mean, seriously, what the fuck? Never have I given a shit before about whatever I fucked. Never felt bad for hurting someone. Never fuckin' once. But you, fuckin' Kurosaki, you did something to all of us when you fuckin' came here. And I don't know how the fuck you did it."

Grimmjow sat slowly beside him, and pulled his head into his lap, leaving his body across Nnoitra. Ichigo stared up with those honey brown eyes of his and Grimmjow shook his head. He glanced up at Nnoitra.

"Fuckin' amazing is what it is. I kill the weak, but something in me wants to make sure nothin' happens to you. When Szayel said that Aizen was gonna kill you if you didn't take one of our offspring, I couldn't let him. I had to show ya, that this life, it isn't that bad. Ya've done somethin' to us, that's for sure. And fuck if I know how or what," Grimmjow said, petting his hair gently.

Ichigo didn't know what to say. These weren't the same monsters as the first day. Something had changed in them. Something had changed inside _him_. He grasped Grimmjow's hand and pulled it closer.

"I-I…I think…" he began, his voice cracking. "I-I might love you…all of you…" he whispered finally. "I want them, whoever they belong to, and I want you all near me."

Grimmjow leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead, and Nnotra gently caressed his legs and hips. They stayed like that a long time until Ichigo fell asleep. Nnoitra pulled out a towel he'd brought and wiped away the mess from him, and then cleaned himself up and handed it to Grimmjow. Nnoitra picked him up, carefully to avoid waking him and let Grimmjow clean himself and dress. He passed him to Grimmjow and then did the same, pulling on his clothes and putting the small bottle Szayel had given him in a pouch. It certainly had done the job he promised. He wrapped the sheet back around him, and brushed the hair from his eyes again.

They sonidoed back to the room with his friends, and Grimmjow thought he better go in first and tell them he was sleeping, and that they needed to let him. He told Nnoitra to wait as he opened the door and entered.

Rukia was up and standing in front of him like a shot, her violet eyes shining. "Where is he, espada?"

He could see the tension in the other four who stood back. Grimmjow shoved her backward a little. "Calm down, shorty. He's fine, he's asleep and you already know he needs to stay that way. Now back the fuck up."

He turned back and gestured and the group gasped as Nnoitra was the one holding him. Nnoitra ignored him and followed Grimmjow into the room he had been in. He laid him down on the bed, and they saw the black reiatsu whip about for a moment. The both sat down on the bed to wait, Grimmjow, at his feet, hand resting on his ankle where it stuck from under the sheet. Nnoitra was seated beside his head. Now was the moment when it would be decided. Nnoitra continued to stroke his hair, and both looked up to see both Stark and Ulquiorra enter the room.

Ichigo's friends all stood staring outside the door as all four espada took positions around him. Stark laid down lazily beside him, one hand resting on his shoulder. Ulquiorra sat above his head at the very end of the bed, and held onto one of his hands that had been tossed up above his head in his sleep. Ichigo moaned softly, then shuddered as his red and black reiatsu began to lick at the edges of his body. There was a feeling of static in the air around them. Then, around Ichigo, reiatsu of blue, gold, and green began to ripple and tangle with the black reiatsu of his own.

His back arched and he let out a breathy gasp as it began to swirl faster and then seemed to be absorbed into him and he laid flat, breath even. Stark wrapped an arm around him and seemed to be falling asleep again. Grimmjow moved and lay down across the foot of the bed, sighing deeply. Ulquiorra laid a head on his shoulder and pulled his legs up onto the bed under him, and Nnoitra sat on the floor beside the bed and laid his head beside him.

Outside the room, Rukia and Renji exchanged glances, surprised by the act of…gentleness? They walked back and sat down. It was late now, and soon they all filtered away, Renji keeping the couch, and Inoue and Rukia sharing a room for now.

_A/N: Okay yes, I mellowed them out. I had to. They're very OOC, but I like it and they know they're acting OOC and its driving them nuts. So now I'm wondering what kinda babies. Should I pick out two or three? Or shall I have him miraculously (and dangeroulsy) carry four? Or maybe twin hybrids... Hrm, choices, choices... I really want a part of all four of them involved...but still thinking! Hope you enjoyed the Lemon here. :)_


	8. Bursting at the Seams

Ichigo woke slowly and realized he was incredibly warm. He snuggled into that warmth, pressing into his back, and pressing into his front. He felt so comfortable he didn't really want to move at all. He let out a deep sigh and heard his name. He shook his head and blinked slowly, and found his face buried in teal hair.

"Ichigo?" the voice came again and he picked his head up slowly and blinked away sleep as he saw Rukia standing there, her face frowning.

"What is it, midget?" he muttered and tried to move his legs, but frowned when they seemed trapped. He sighed and lay his head back, and found it laying on another head of hair.

She cleared her throat. "Um, are you hungry? Ishida made lunch."

"Hmmm. Yes, I'm starved," he said, pulling his legs again.

It really hadn't dawned on him that he was piled in the bed with his four alphas. He pulled his leg and there was a growl and an arm clamped down on it, and he yelped in surprise. The blue head of hair in front of him stirred and turned around, and he found himself lost in blue eyes. Then there was a hand digging into his hair and he smiled, looking up to see Ulquiorra staring at him, absently petting his orange locks. There was a tight grip on his legs again, and he glanced down to find Nnoitra entwined around them, still sleeping from the look.

"Yer awake?" the bluenette said softly. "Was getting' tired of sleepin'."

Rukia cleared her throat uncomfortably. Grimmjow turned and looked at her. "Don worry, shorty. He can come eat wit ya."

Grimmjow sat up and stretched and then reached down to smack Nnoitra across the head. He received a growl and the piano toothed espada fixed his one eye on him with a frown, lifting his head where it had been on top of Ichigo's hip. Grimmjow looked at Ulquiorra who nodded, and shook Stark's shoulder where he lay behind Ichigo's back. The primera blinked lazily and nodded, slowly standing.

"I suppose we should go for now and talk to Szayel," Ulquiorra said, and walked away, quickly followed by the others. They ignored the looks from the occupants of the room and left.

Rukia blinked in surprise, expecting something more. But Ichigo stood up, clutching the sheet around him and was muttering about food and clothes and trying to figure out why his head hurt. He seemed fine. Finally, though he gave up and cinched the sheet around his waist like he had the night before and looked up at Rukia with a soft smile.

"What's for lunch, midget?" he said.

She stood there for a minute then couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "What are you doing, standing there l like there's nothing in the worlds wrong? Like there isn't anything happening out of the ordinary? In the last few days, they've turned you into…this!"

Ichigo blinked, wondering what she was talking about. Then the anger started to build in his chest, and to be honest, it wasn't entirely directed at her, just anger at the situation. Anger at his pride being stripped away, anger at being drug into a world and war he had never wanted, and anger at not being able to protect the people he cared so much about.

"This?" he said hotly. "What exactly does that mean?"

"You're not even fighting them! You just lay down with them like they haven't done what they've done! You're happy, like some part of you is enjoying this torture! Letting them lay beside you and touch you like that!" she shouted, and Ichigo could see the others had heard and were moving closer.

Ichigo snapped, his eyes blazing. "You dragged me into this life. I did it to save my family. Then I did it to save you. I came here to save Inoue. And then I have everything I am stripped away, layer by layer, and all because I want to save you. Enjoy? You want to know how I can enjoy this? I give up everything I am to have a small chance to save you all from them. And I'm reduced to less than human because of it!"

Rukia blinked, feeling the pulsing reiatsu from him, stronger than before, seemingly no longer dampened. She just stood as his eyes nearly glowed gold. "And now you're standing here accusing me of being a whore for them? Well, I'd rather lay down with them, than stand her anymore," he said finally, pushing past her and to their surprise, slung open the door with a cracking sound and it fell shut behind him.

Ichigo didn't even realize he'd broken through the seal. Before he knew it he was storming through the blank, white hallways. He felt strange though, like his burst of energy was fading quickly. He stumbled into the wall and caught his breath. His strength from the exertion was quickly fading away, much to his displeasure.

"Well, what is this?" a voice behind him said, chuckling.

He spun around and found himself facing a couple arrancar he'd never seen. One was short, with dark hair and a strange helmet like mask on his head. Beside him stood a helmeted blond arrancar. They were staring at him intently. He swallowed convulsively.

"Barragan-sama said that there was a little pest running around, but I had no idea it would be a shinigami…" the blond said, looking over at the shorter brunette. "What do you think, Ggio?"

Ggio sniffed. "Well, Findorr, you notice that? He _is_ a beta after all. I thought Charlotte was full of shit."

The blond smiled broader. "Well, you know, I think you're right. Smells not so strong now, who took you as mate, there orange?"

Ichigo was backed into the wall as the blond slammed a hand into the wall beside his head. "I-I d-don't know…" he stammered, honestly. Would he consider all four of them his mates? Or was did that even happen?

Findorr grinned. "So that means you've been making the rounds, like a good little slutty beta, huh?"

Ichigo was frozen in place, staring into those covered eyes and he glanced over at the other one who was leering at him. "Seems like he's a little weakened, doesn't he, Findorr? Thought he was supposed to be such a threat to Aizen-sama."

Findorr leaned closer, his bone covered forehead nearly touching Ichigo's. "Well, isn't that a shame."

"Look, I-I can't fight right now, okay, just let me go…I'm looking for…" he started, only to have his head snapped to the side by a skull shaking backhand.

"Quiet." Ichigo felt the command to his heels and he couldn't speak. Great. He happens to run into another alpha. But the hold wasn't as strong, not nearly as strong as Grimmjow's had been. But he kept quiet anyway, not sure what he would do if he realized he didn't have complete control over him. Even without the command, his reiatsu was pitifully weak, especially after the outburst at Rukia.

Findorr smiled, and ran a finger across his face, then down his neck. He wanted to run, but the dark haired one was staring at him. "Normally, I just fuck him," he said motioning with his head at the shorter arrancar behind him. "Barragan-sama doesn't seem to mind what we do as long as we're around when he wants us to do something. But, looking at you, I could make an exception to such a pretty beta."

Ichigo felt his knees weaken. This was certainly not going the way he wanted. He just wanted to get away from the accusing eyes of his friends and hide his shame at what he knew he'd become. He didn't want to be a tool, a thing to be used, but he was, at the deepest, doing it to try and protect his friends. The same as always. Giving up his human life. Nearly dying to become a shinigami on his own. Taking down half of soul society to help Rukia. And these two, he was not going to allow this, because it wasn't their place. The only ones he would let touch him were the Espada. Because they had the power to send his friends home. These did not have that power.

"Leave me alone," he growled, fixing the blond with a glare.

He looked shocked, realizing that his command had gone unheeded. "Well, pet has some bite to him to shrug off my command so easily."

Ichigo tried to shove him off but found his hands slammed into the wall above his head harshly. He struggled and tried to kick at the body over him. He was growing weaker though, seemingly something inside sucking all the strength from his body. Findor was biting at his neck and for some reason, even though with the others it was pleasant, it felt disgusting. He struggled away from his mouth just wanting it to stop. He pressed a hand into his chest and for a moment he thought his sternum was going to break. He let go and Ichigo gasped for air at the release of the pressure. He ran his tongue up his chin and to his mouth and then forced his way in. Ichigo was having none of it, though and as soon as his tongue was inside, he bit down as hard as he could.

Findorr yelped, dropping his hold on the orangette, and he slipped down the wall, his legs unable to hold him up. He dropped to hands and knees to scramble away from the pair but found more white clad legs in front of him. He looked up to see the dark haired one leering down at him and he had no warning before weight fell on his back, crushing him to the floor. Ggio smiled and stepped down on his hand hard, making him cry out in frustration as he felt the blood from the mouth above him dripping. He yanked a the painfully held hand, grasping at it with the opposite.

"Ya really shouldn't have done that," Ggio said, arching a brow down at him. "Findorr gets a little violent when he gets hurt."

He felt the sheet shredded, the cold rush of air on his back sending shivers up his back. With his left hand pinned by the dark haired arrancar, he couldn't do much except try to pull it out. He could see blood welling from his efforts. He cried out again, not sure what else to do, but was rewarded with a swift kick to his jaw from Ggio.

"Shut up, beta," he said.

Ichigo dropped his head hard to floor, feeling like he might have broke his jaw. The other one's hands were on his hip and despite the pain, he found himself screaming as he forced himself on him. It lasted too long, and he felt tears pouring. He didn't think Nnoitra's attack had hurt like this.

 _Hold on, king,_ the voice in his head said. _They're coming to help ya, just hold on a lil bit more. I'm protectin' the chambers._

Ichigo sobbed into his right elbow when suddenly there was a crash and his hand was free. He pulled it back toward him as the pain behind him stopped and he found himself being pulled by someone. He couldn't tell who, though, his world was a haze of pain at the moment. He smelled someone familiar and he clutched onto them, burying his head into a strong chest. He heard more sounds, but the roaring in his ears eclipsed much else until his eyes closed despite how hard he tried to keep them open.

-Espada's meeting chamber – earlier—

"So what is the report on the shinigami beta?" Aizen asked, leaning casually on his fist and looking over his espada. The four who had taken on the beta had finally wandered in a second ago.

Szayel nodded. "He's taken to the implantation well, his reiatsu seems to be enough to feed the young. I haven't examined it to any extent, but there will be no need to dispose of him. No doubt the issue will be powerful if the boy's full power is any indication."

Aizen sighed as Yammy snorted. "What is this, anyway? I go away and now you have a beta all to yerself?"

Szayel arched a pink brow at him. "I assure you, I have no interest in the espada's beta."

Yammy grinned. "So do I get to have a little fun?"

Grimmjow snarled. "No, you fuckin' beast, you don't. You touch him and I'll fuckin' rip yer head off."

Yammy frowned at him. "Like hell you can take me, fucker."

There was a stifled yawn. "Yes, but I think you'll find it hard to take him and me together."

"And me as well," Ulquiorra commented with a blank expression.

"The fuck, you all fuckin' this beta? What's so fuckin' special about him?" he asked.

Ulquiorra said. "He is the Kurosaki boy."

There was a long silence and Yammy snorted. "I thought you said he was trash."

Suddenly, Nnoitra's head popped up from his hand. "The fuck…"

Then, before Aizen could even say anything, he'd leaped to his feet and sonidoed away. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra frowned and then Grimmjow muttered. "Shit!" leaping up and following the mantis. Ulquiorra stood and glanced at Stark.

"Coming, primera, or too lazy to help our beta?" he said mildy. Stark rolled his eyes and nodded, following Ulquiorra in another sonido.

Nnoitra came out and heat rose to his face at what he saw. He saw Ichigo, sprawled out on the floor, the stupid blond fraccion of Barragan's on top of him, and the short one standing on his hand it looked like. He leaped, knocking Ggio off his feet and through the next wall. Findorr looked up in time to see a blue haired figure launch himself over and tackle him to the floor.

Ulquiorra and Stark touched down, and Stark dropped down and pulled him into his arms, letting him sob against him. Ulquiorra looked down at the pinned arrancar with impassive green eyes.

"Why are you assaulting our beta?" he said as Grimmjow restrained himself incredibly well, not ripping out the throat below him.

Findorr seemed shocked. "Your beta? He's too weak for any of you!"

Grimmjow growled at him dangerously. "He's fuckin' our beta, and ya are very lucky that ya are Barragan's fraccion or you would be dead for touching him at all. As it stands, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, then drop you at Barragan's fuckin' feet."

There was a crash and Ggio came flying back into the hallway, skidding to a stop beside Findorr's pinned body. He looked over, seeing his fellow fraccion bloodied, and a six armed Nnoitra stalked up on him, then turned to glare at Findorr who gasped. "You too?"

Stark then walked up over both of them, holding the orange headed shinigami in his arms against his chest. He'd taken off his coat and wrapped him up in it. "If I weren't so damn lazy I'd kill you both," he yawned dramatically. "I'm taking him to Szayel, you three clean up the mess and deliver them to Barragan with my regards."

Stark took off without another room and knocked and figured that Szayel would still be in the meeting room. He entered the room, barechested and annoyed. Aizen looked up, seeing the primera with his coat wrapped around the orange haired Shinigami. He fixed Barragan with a look.

"You're going to be down two fraccion for a long while after Nnoitra and Grimmjow are done with them," he said.

Barragan looked at him, and down at the bundle in his arms but said nothing. "Szayel, check him over."

Szayel looked at Aizen then back at the primera and Aizen nodded. Szayel got to his feet and followed as the primera headed to his lab. He dropped out of sonido and entered the sterile room and put him down on the table. Szayel clucked over him, turning his head and frowning.

"I swear, when will anyone realize he's not a full hollow?" he muttered and set about administering some drugs to advance the healing process. He definitely broke his jaw, and if he didn't fix it quickly, lack of food would kill him and the issue. He set it quickly, getting a moan from Ichigo in his dazed state.

Stark stood back, looking for all intents and purposes to be sleeping standing against the wall. But truthfully, his slit eyes were on every move Szayel made. A moment later he heard the outer door open and Ulquiorra entered to stand beside him. Szayel picked up his hand and rolled his eyes. He injected him with something and the redness seemed to start fading quickly. He started to pull off Stark's coat, and glanced up to him. Stark glowered and Szayel sighed, pulling off the coat and grabbing a sheet from beside him to toss over him. He tossed the coat to the primera and finished checking him over, still annoyed. He found no serious damage that he wouldn't heal in the next day or so.

In a bit Grimmjow and Nnoitra came in and Szayel knew he was probably going to have more patients since both of them had bloodied knuckles. Neither said anything as he continued to treat him, then he ran a hand over his belly to check the chambers, which to his surprise were perfectly fine. Then he glanced down to see his eyes open, but they weren't brown they were black and gold.

"If yer wonderin' freak, I protected them," he said in a different voice.

Stark and Nnoitra frowned and looked over. "The fuck?" Nnoitra said when Ichigo looked over at him.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Sometimes when he's out, his hollow likes ta talk."

Ichigo's face smiled in a way that was very unnatural. "I see ya all didn't expect him to get out, ya need to watch 'im better, so he don't go walking out on his own again. Our reiatsu is being sapped at an incredible rate, so he can't put up with this shit much. I can't protect him for much longer, gonna be up ta ya."

Then his eyes closed and opened again, this time brown. "Ow…"

Grimmjow came up to him first. "Hey, what the fuck ya doin' leaving the room?" he scowled.

Ichigo swallowed, his jaw tight and he couldn't really move it. "Just walked, sorry, was mad."

"What the hell you get mad about enough to go fuckin' wanderin' around without anyone with you?" Nnoitra said, standing beside Grimmjow.

Ichigo turned away, his eyes glistening already, though from pain or something else he wasn't sure. "Nothing, just…"

Szayel sighed. "Talk later; I'll have him mostly healed up by later today. The cubs are forming into the chambers, so in a couple days we'll know how many are in there. Since you all four seemed to have tried, I don't know how many there will be. But I'm warning you, if he has enough connection and he tries to keep four chambers, I can't be sure the results. That's a dangerous draw on his reiatsu, but the stronger the reiatsu the more chambers it will support. Now, go, and then we'll try to figure out how to handle this…mess."

The four espada left and paused outside the door. "How the hell did he get past the barrier?" Grimmjow wondered.

Stark nodded. "Perhaps we should discuss the situation with his friends. Something happened to make him angry enough to break it."

So it was that a few moments later, four espada stood outside the door with the five captives. Stark broke the seal and opened the door, heading inside to see five sets of eyes widen at the sight of all four of them. The door shut and sealed behind them.

Rukia frowned at the, sitting on the sofa. "What do you want?"

"What did you do to upset him?" Ulquiorra said from beside Stark, hands in his pockets and scanning the faces of those present.

There was a pause. "What do you mean?" Renji asked.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "You guys are fuckin' idiots, ya know that? Someone pissed him off, he left the room, and ended up with a fuckin' broken hand and jaw courtesy of a couple fraccion that ran into him."

The silence spread out. And it was Nnoitra that picked it up. "Ya think he's giving into us too easily, and you told him that, didn't ya?"

Stark arched a brow and yawned. "Man, this is not good. I need a nap, you guys handle this," he said and wandered away.

Grimmjow growled under his breath. "Do you fuckin' even understand what's happening?"

Inoue was staring at her hands while Chad and Uryu watched the espada closely. Rukia was glaring at them, sitting beside Renji.

"Fuck, look, he's different, but ain't he yer fuckin' friend still? He didn't want any of this shit, ya know, and he can't stop it now. He's going to do what we tell him, not because he wants to but because he has to. There ain't no choice in the matter. But only when it comes to us. No one else can match his power," Grimmjow said with a sigh. "And trust me, anyone lower than me in the espada couldn't even match him."

Nnoitra nodded and continued, "He fought fuckin' Ggio and Findorr hard enough to get a fuckin' broken jaw and hand because he wouldn't submit to their fuckin' asses. But he's weak as fuck right now, all his energy being pulled into the cubs. So we had to fuckin' pull that blond Findorr off him and beat the fuck out of him and his helper, Ggio. No one is going to fuck our beta without his permission, not even us anymore. And it was pretty damn obvious he didn't want them to touch him."

Rukia dropped her eyes then, unsure what to say. She was so angry, but it wasn't really at Ichigo, it was mostly at herself. No matter how things went, she'd been the one to drag him into the whole mess. And now she'd pushed him away, disgusted at herself that she'd let something happen to someone she cared about. She hadn't been thinking about how horrible he felt.

Ulquiorra looked them over. "Aizen-sama has decided with the successful conception, with the primera's request, one of you will be sent home. Decide among yourself who it will be and I will return in an hour to send you to the world of the living."

With that, all three turned on their heels and left them to contemplate it. Renji pulled Rukia against him.

"Kuchiki-kun, I think you should go so you can talk to soul society," Inoue said softly. "I'd feel better if Abarai-kun stayed until I've gone home."

Rukia shook her head. "No, Inoue you should go back. You can talk to Urahara and he can get hold of Soul Society. We have to take this chance, but I should wait until Ichigo can go back. If…if Renji and I don't stay, there could be problems later with soul society. I don't want them to punish him because of what he's been forced into."

Inoue looked at them with large, teary eyes. "But what if one of you is hurt again?"

Ishida dropped a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure that to keep control of Kurosaki, they will make sure that doesn't happen. He bargained to get one of us released. The least we can do is have faith in him."

At that Rukia's mind went back to what she'd said this morning. "I'm so stupid, how could I have upset him so badly?"

Renji patted her back. "Just apologize when he returns."

"How can he forgive me after…after he was attacked because he left?" she said.

Chad, who had been quiet, spoke then. "None of us understood. He did not know there was danger. The espada seemed to think he could not leave. We now know that is not true."


	9. Promises Kept

True to his word, an hour later Ulquiorra returned. He looked them over. "Have you decided?" he asked.

Before anyone could speak, Rukia stood up. "Take Orhime, please. Take her to Kisuke Urahara's Shoten."

He nodded and reached his hand out to the busty woman. She looked back at him. "Can I say good bye to Kurosaki-kun?" she asked softly.

Ulquiorra looked thoughtful and nodded. "He is still in Szayel's lab, but you can. I prefer he know we have kept our word."

He led her out, then grabbed her into a sonido and escorted her into Szayel's lab where Ichigo was laying out on the table, a great purple bruise covering most of his jaw and his left hand bandaged. He was sleeping. As soon as Ulquiorra got close, his head turned toward him slowly as though he felt his presence.

"Ulkea?" he muttered, trying not to move his jaw.

Ulquiorra came around where he could see him. "That's an odd way to put my name. I have brought the woman to bid you farewell. As we Stark said, we will send one of your friends home."

Inoue walked over beside the green eyed espada and tried not to cry. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun but the others wanted me to go, I wanted to stay. Ichigo shook his head. "No, came here fa ya, ya go home safe, 'kay?"

He smiled, but it quickly turned into a grimace as pain lanced around his face. He looked up at Ulquiorra and there were tears in his eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Inoue hugged him clumsily. "I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I'm sorry that I took away the first babies without knowing it! I'm sorry I got taken here and dragged you into this mess! And I'm sorry…"

Ichigo pushed her up and gave her a slight smile. "Shh, no. Go home. Tell my dad I love him, tell hat'n'clog that I'm okay, and him to talk to dad please. Don't cry for me."

She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead and he grasped her hand tightly. "I've always loved you, Kurosaki-kun," she said finally and nearly ran out of the room. Ulquiorra followed.

They went into the hall and Ulquiorra called up the garganta and led her through. They said nothing on the walk but it opened directly above Urahara's shop. As soon as they stepped out, Urahara was out the door holding his cane in front of him, but seeing Inoue he paused and watched as Ulquiorra brought her to the ground.

"Espada, where are the rest of them?" he asked, fearing to know the answer.

Inoue ran forward nearly tripping and grabbed Urahara to bury her head in his chest, starting to sob. Urahara looked at her then back to the passive espada. He pulled the sword fee from the cane sheath and pointed it at the espada.

"Where are they?"

Ulquiorra looked thoughtful and saw that Inoue was incapable of speech currently.

"Since the woman is distraught, I will tell you. They are safe, but confined. Inoue is being returned per agreement with Kurosaki Ichigo. Should Kurosaki continue to abide by our agreement, another of his friends will be returned. Once all his friends are returned, he will remain with us. At that point, he will choose not to leave," he said, impassively.

Urahara frowned. "What do you mean? He will choose not to leave?"

"Kurosaki is not a full hollow, therefore he will not abandoned his offspring," he said watching for a reaction.

"Offspring? What?" his mind was racing to try and comprehend it.

"Kurosaki is being used to breed stronger arrancar/vizard hybrids. Thus far he is successful in carrying an unknown number of offspring, and we do not know the sire involved with them. Espadas primera, myself cuartra, quinta and sexta have attempted to sire with Kurosaki. We are certain at least one has taken," he said, his eyes showing no emotion.

Urahara blinked. "How can he carry offspring? He's a human male."

Ulquiorra had thought this particular man more aware. "Kurosaki is half hollow. Hollows offspring is dependent on physical sex, only on alpha or beta status. Kurosaki is a male beta capable of carrying offspring. His hollow subdued him once they had been in Hueco Mundo long enough for him to begin a heat cycle for impregnantion. If he had not come to Hueco Mundo, his hollow would not have gained control. Only Espada ranked six or above are capable of mating with him due to his high level of power."

Urahara stammered for a second to wrap his head around this, and that never happened. Never. Never was Urahara caught off guard or surprised by something. This ones the one incredible exception to that rule.

"I will leave you, I must attend to Kurosaki. He has entered a vulnerable stage, and must be protected by us. I will see you if Aizen decides to allow another of his friends to go free. Until then, they will not be harmed," he said passively and flicked his hand to open the inky blackness and stepped in, letting it shut behind him.

"Is this true, Inoue?" Urahara said softly.

"Oh god, Urahara-san, it is true! They've done some horrible things to him, and we couldn't help him!" she cried into his green top. Urahara looked up as a familiar shinigami flash stepped in front of him.

"Inoue!" Toshiro said as he moved closer, the small captain frowning. "Urahara, I felt an espada's presence, what's happening? Where did it go?"

Urahara sighed. "I think we should go inside and talk and I'll tell you what the espada said, and then get Inoue some tea so she can tell us what she saw."

Toshiro frowned but nodded following them into the shoten. Urahara made the tea, and to Toshiro's surprise, the small captain saw his hand shake. And that was something he had to admit to having never seen. He then sat a small recording device on the table and turned it on. He seated them all around and recalled what Ulquiorra had said. Toshiro was just as surprised.

"You said it was true, Ohrime-san?" he said softly.

She nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah, I was called to heal him when they were brought in. The really tall freaky looking one had bitten his neck, and he was bleeding, so I healed it, and we were in front of Aizen. They were talking about him like he wasn't there, like he was some thing for them to use. Then the blue haired one, Grimmjow just grabbed him up and tossed him over his shoulder, and told him to be still before he broke his ribs. Then he told me they'd probably need me later. I was scared, and they took me, Abarai-kun, Kuchiki-kun, Sado-kun and Ishida-kun to an apartment. But later they called me back to heal him…and oh god they almost killed him Urahara. The tall one said to heal him or I'd take his place." She swallowed hard.

"This pink haired espada, Szayel came in and explained that Kurosaki-kun could carry babies, but because I had healed him, the ones that may or may not have been forming were rejected along with the wounds. So I couldn't be allowed to heal him… Then Ulquiorra came and dragged him away. When he brought him back the next day, he had bites and bruises, but not like before. He passed out and the pink haired one came back and said he was carrying a reiatsu bundle that might or might not turn into a baby. Then this little girl came and said the primera espada wanted him and Kurosaki-kun wanted to stay, but she said if he came with her, then he would talk to Aizen about letting one of us go. So he went, though we begged him not to. He said he had to. He came back later, and he looked sleepy, and half dressed."

She blushed suddenly. Urahara frowned. "What is it, Inoue?"

"They had him wearing this awful set of clothes, with slits down the sides of his hakama almost to his ankles and a kusado that covered his shoulders and that was it. It was nice, though, in a way," she said, blushing again. She had to admit, viewing him in the scant outfit had been interesting. "But he went to shower and fell, getting dizzy. They took his clothes and he had to wrap up in his sheet instead until he could figure out how to get some more."

"Inoue, what happened to his shihakuso? His reiatsu should have reformed it," Toshiro said frowning.

She nodded. "His hollow somehow repressed it, and we could hardly sense him even in the same room. Something about how the reiatsu spikes before a heat, and then is almost nonexistent so they can be overtaken by the alphas," she said, blushing at the thought.

Urahara nodded, mentally charting all the information he'd been given. "Where do the souls come from?" he asked suddenly. "Hollows aren't born, they're made…"

Inoue nodded. "We asked that too, Szayel said that it is a matter of instinct, not necessity, and since hollows are made up of tons of souls, they basically implant one of those souls using their reiatsu. Then the one that is carrying it accepts or rejects it. And Aizen told us that if Kurosaki-kun didn't accept at least one, he'd be killed."

They were silent for a moment. "What happened then, Inoue-san?" Urahara prompted.

"Oh, yes, he fell, and had his head stitched, and Szayel said his heat was cut short because of being human. So he would form the reiatsu chambers for the babies soon. But Grimmjow came and got him again, saying he had something to show him. I don't know what happened, but later Nnoitra brought him back with Grimmjow and laid him in the bed, then Stark and Ulquiorra came in, and they all went in there with him, and there was a lot of strange reiatsu, and they ended up falling asleep on the bed with him, all of them, just laying against him and holding onto him. It was so strange, and almost like…like they cared about him," she said softly.

She breathed harshly. "Kuchiki-kun was angry. She didn't understand how he could just let them do those things, and she wasn't thinking clearly. I think she was angry at herself because she got Kurosaki-kun involved in the shinigami. But the next morning she woke him up for lunch, and he didn't seem bothered at all by the espada. They got up and left, and Kurosaki-kun was trying to act like everything was okay, and we all knew it wasn't. So…so Kuchiki-kun yelled at him, and said something she shouldn't have."

"Like what?" Urahara prompted, reaching out and touching her hand gently.

She breathed deeply. "That they turned him into something different, that he wasn't fighting them, that he was enjoying it. I saw it when he snapped, the fury and hurt in his eyes, Urahara-san. He was so mad that his reiatsu nearly choked me. He told Kuchiki-kun that he would do anything they told him if he thought it would save us and send us home. And he said she was accusing him of being…being…" she stopped. "Of being a whore for them. And that he would rather lay down with them than stand there any longer. He barged out somehow breaking the seal to the door and sealing it back, even though we couldn't budge the door before or after that no matter how hard we tried."

Her tears were filling up again. "But he was alone, and he was weak, and two of the other arrancars ran into him because the espada were with Aizen. And they hurt him because he tried to fight them off, but he couldn't. His alphas came back afterward and were angry, really angry because he was hurt. I never thought I'd see them angry about someone else, you know? But they figured out pretty quickly how he got so mad. And they told us what happened because of it. And that he wasn't just there for anyone to use, and he wouldn't give in to anyone, because he was still fighting them after they broke his jaw and his hand, because he knew…he knew that they didn't have the power to help us like the espada. And so Kuchiki-kun refused to come back when we were told one could return, and she insisted it be me. I think she feels responsible for everying, Urahara-san," she said sighing deeply.

Urahara sighed again, his head swirling. He clicked off the recording device and pulled half of it off and handed it to the slight captain.

"For you to take to soul society, Toshiro-chan. Please hurry," he said softly, and poured Inoue another cup of tea. He picked up the phone with a shuttering breath.

"Hello?" came the reply.

"Issin-san, it's about Ichigo-kun. Come to my shop, please," he said softly, then closed the phone.

Innoue looked up. "You know Kurosaki-kun's father?"

Urahara nodded. "That I do. Would you like to rest here or go to your home, Inoue-san?"

She thought. "I don't want to be alone, Urahara-san, may I rest in one of the rooms?"

Urahara smiled and nodded, leading her into one of the spare rooms where there was a comfortable futon to lay on. As he came back into the front, a familiar man was standing there waiting for him. This was not a discussion he was looking forward to having right now.

"Come in, sit down for tea, and I'll play the recording I just made for you," he said softy.

-Las Noches—

Ulquiorra headed back to the room with the others and informed them that Inoue had been handed over to Urahara Kisuke and the eccentric shop keeper had been given an explanation from Ulquiorra himself. He then headed to check on Ichigo, and found him resting. As he stepped outside he ran into his three fellow alphas.

"I returned the woman. I believe the gesture will improve his mood," he said to them.

Grimmjow growled. "What would improve my mood would be to fuckin' kill Findorr and Ggio right now."

Nnoitra grinned. "Now now, ya know as well as I do, they're wishin' he had killed 'em right now. Their rough treatment of _our_ beta will not be repeated. And I think when he's had them cubs, those two should be healed up, and I think we should let him have at them, show 'em how weak they are compared to him. He'll rip their faces off!" he said gleefully.

Grimmjow found a smirk tugging at his lips. "Yah, ya know I like that. They called him weak. I wanna see that one. So I guess I'll let 'em live. Just watch Ichi kick their asses."

Stark snorted, waking himself up where he'd fallen asleep against the wall. "Yeah, I'm going back to sleep. But first where are we going to keep him? He can't go about alone, and if he has the moods…"

Nnoitra blinked. "Shit, if fergot that one. Fuck, he's gonna be a pain, isn't he?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "He already went off on the Kuchiki woman and stormed off. We cannot trust him to stay behind any sort of barrier. His reiatsu is too strong and can burst out when he is agitated."

"So he needs one of us who can actually command him around at all times," he said softly.

"Should we take one of those apartments Aizen-sama built like his friends are in, and stay together until the cubs are born? There are four rooms for us," Ulquiorra said thoughtfully.

Stark snorted again. "Oh, we could do that. Lillynette will have to come with me, of course."

Grimmjow nodded. "Well, I ain't got no fraccion left to worry about. I'll go ask Aizen-sama about it. But I doubt he'll have an issue. If he wants his hybrids healthy, we gotta keep 'im happy."

He wandered off leaving the other three. Stark yawned and headed back to his mountain of pillows. Nnoitra sighed. "I'm gonna go kill some piss-ant hollows."

Ulquiorra watched them all leave and went into the room to watch the beta sleep. The purple of the bruise on his face was fading, and Szayel had removed the bandage off his hand. Szayel came in and looked up. "He'll be ready to leave in an hour or so. Could you find him some clothes? It might be beneficial so that he's not running around nearly naked to keep the other arrancar from assaulting him again."

Ulquiorra nodded and went off to find something for him to wear. He managed to find a set of hakama that looked his size, and a jacket the reminded him of the black and red bankai coat he wore. They were, of course, white. But he headed back to Szayel and found that he was helping him sit up on the bed. He rubbed his jaw absently.

Ulquiorra nodded to him, and handed him the clothes. "I have found some suitable attire for you, Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked at it skeptically. "It's not the prostitute get up again, is it?"

Ulquiorra frowned. "It is something I thought you would like."

Szayel and Ulquiorra helped him down, the sheet falling away, and though he knew it really shouldn't bother him, he felt a mad blush creep up his face. Ulquiorra helped him into the hakama and pulled the obi tight around his waist. He was glad to see they were normal hakama. Then he helped him shrug on the kusoda, which was long and form fitting, much like his bankai cloak, with a high collar and buttons that came up to his collarbone. The sleeves weren't as long, only three quarter of the way down his arms, but they were tight fitting. He looked up at Ulquiorra and smiled. "That's much better."

Despite himself, Ulquiorra felt a flutter in his chest of…happiness? He'd done something that Ichigo liked and he was pleased about it. He smiled in return and led Ichigo to the room with his friends. They dropped out of sonido and Ulquiorra held on for a moment, looking up at him. He was a few inches taller than the espada, but the green eyed man seemed to grow when he wanted to. He reached up and brushed the greenish bruise on his jaw and frowned.

"Because of this, one of is will remain with you at all times, we cannot let you risk the health of the cubs or your own health. So we will not hesitate to command you if you are going to hurt either," he said and released the seal and led him into the room by the hand. Ichigo looked down where his hand was clasped in the paler one and didn't mind at all.

As soon as he entered, Rukia was in front of him apologizing franticly and begging him to forgive her because she upset him. He sighed and ruffled her hair and walked into the room, pulling Ulquiorra with him to the table at the kitchen.

"Midget, forget it okay, I'm trying to do the same," he said over his shoulder, his eyes tired. "I'm going to find something to eat for me and Ulkea." Ulquiorra's lips twitched into a small smile. He actually liked that nickname even though it had come about from his inability to use his name with his jaw clamped shut.

Rukia and Renji looked at each other. Renji mouthed _Ulkea_ at her. She shrugged and glanced at the passive espada and realized that he was watching every move Ichigo made in the tiny kitchen. His eyes never moved to the others in the room or anything.

"Thank you for taking Inoue back," he said, smiling as he sat down some rice curry he'd made. He looked over at the others. "Oi, you going to eat or stand there gawking!"

Before long, they had all sat around the table and ate quietly, not really knowing how to take the espada that was sitting with them. Finally Ichigo frowned. "Because of this," he said, motioning at his jaw, where the bruise was fading to a dark brown now. "They're going to stay with me, at least one of them, all the time. They don't want me going postal again, and then getting messed up by someone's stupid fraccion," he said frowning, massaging his still sore left hand. Of course he couldn't do much about the searing pain that was still shooting up his back every time he moved.

"Those particular fraccion will not be up and in condition to move for quite some time," Ulquiorra stated.

Uryu looked up, one raven brow arched. "Were they punished by Aizen?"  
Ulquiorra shook his head. "No, I'm afraid that Grimmjow and Nnoitra were furious, and neither of them has the ability to hold their tempers very well. If they had not been segunda espada Barragan's fraccion, I believe they would have been killed outright. Primera almost did however he claimed laziness and chose to let Grimmjow and Nnoitra take out their frustration on them."

Uryu and Renji exchanged glances. "That's…interesting."

After they eat, and Ichigo had cleaned the dishes away Ulquiorra looked at him. "You must sleep. Today has been difficult, and your energy is ebbing."

Ichigo frowned. "I've been asleep half the day!"

"Yes, and you must continue to rest until we know how many reiatsu chambers are forming. The more that form, the more the drain will be on you. Now, you must rest again."

Ichigo practically pouted, and crossed his arms. "Fine. You're coming with me right?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "Of course."

"Night, Renji, Chado, Rukia, Ishida!" he called and grabbed Ulquiorra by the hand and pulled him into the bedroom he'd come to claim as his.

They blinked at each other. "He's positively domestic," Renji commented. "Is that normal?"

Uryu pushed his glasses up and crossed his white clad legs in the chair. "It is for human females to nest, so I suppose it is possible for Kurosaki to experience similar instincts."

"This is too weird!" Rukia exclaimed. "And he's even calling that one pet names!"

Chad spoke up finally. "No matter how we feel, it is Ichigo's child, and one or more of them are the father of it. I am sure that Ichigo does not want to lose them, he would want to protect them."

The sat in silence again. "Kurosaki would want to protect them. They are innocent. And to protect them, he needs the espada so incidents like today don't repeat. Animals do it in order to protect their young, to get a strong mate to keep predators at bay. The same instincts are being used here. He is our same Kurosaki, but with that instinct added. And seemingly hormones like any mother experiences."

The door opened and Grimmjow sauntered in. He glanced over at them grouped around the couch and chairs and fixed them with a grin, the casually flipped them off and disappeared behind the door to Ichigo's room. A while later, Rukia got up to check on them, and eased the door open. What she found surprised her. Ichigo was lying on his back in the middle of the bed, and Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had each snuggled in one either side with his arms were under each of their heads. Each one rested their head in the hollow of his shoulder. Both had a hand lying protectively on his belly, and there was a soft pulsing of reiatsu emitting from each of their hands every few moments. Gentle and soothing, and then dissipating into him. Every so often a small pulse of black reiatsu would meet the green and blue then fade.

Rukia looked behind her to see the others gathered watching. She looked back and then shut the door gently. She looked at them.

"What if…what if this is more than we thought? What if this is more than them using him?" she whispered.

She met the eye of the four men around her and she knew they were all wondering the same thing.


	10. Nel's Adventures!

The green haired girl skipped through the white hallways. She was looking for her momma Itsygo's alphas. They all had taken off with him and left Nel bored walking around Las Noches. She wanted to find something to do. She was so bored, and wasn't sure what happened to Pesche but that was okay, there were plenty other arrancars around. When Grimmy-kittycat had tossed Itsygo over his shoulder and took off, she'd been a little upset. But she wanted Itsygo momma to have fun too. So she skipped around, getting strange looks from random fraccion as she wandered.

She found her way into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter to find herself looking at a fox faced man with slit eyes. He stared at her. She thought she remembered him.

"Itsygo momma is playin' with alphas. Nel wants to play with someone!" she said frowning.

"Oh, is he now? What ya think they're playin'?" he asked with a smirk, pulling down a pan to make something to eat.

Nel looked thoughtfully, scratching her cracked ram's head mask. "Itsygo-momma get cubs for Nel to play with!" she decided.

Gin smiled same as ever and proceeded to cook noodles for himself. Nel watched. "Nel want some too!"

He shook his head and added a little extra for the small arrancar. Humming to himself he dished it into bowls when it was done and took it to the table. He handed her a bowl and ate his own. She slurped down the noodles rather noisily, almost getting a frown from Gin. Then she smiled.

"Nel go play now, by Ginny!" she said and skipped off, leaving Gin to watch her with a shake of her head.

She found her way into a room where there were three female arrancar lazing around. She jumped up on the lap of one with long, thick hair. The dark skinned woman stared at her. "What?"

"Nel is looking for Itsygo alphas!" she said.

Halibel entered, frowning beneath her mask at the former tercera. It seemed the childlike creature had no memory of her time as one of the strongest of the espada. She looked up to the blond espada.

"What do you mean, child?" Hallibel asked.

Nel smiled. "Nel found momma-itsygo, and momma-Itsygo let Nel be his cub! The alphas are fighting over him now. Nel hopes Momma-Itsygo has lots of cubs!"

"Does she mean that shinigami, Kurosaki?" the one with the short hair muttered.

Hallibel looked at the girl. "Kurosaki Ichigo?" she asked.

Nel beamed proudly. "Nel has Momma-Itsygo! But now Grimmy-kittycat and the rest are playing with momma-Itsygo and Nel can't play with Nel Momma-Itsygo!"

"So, it is true, I heard that that shinigami was part hollow," Halibel said, glancing at her fraccion.

The girl with her hands tucked deep in her sleeves hit her mouth behind them. "And a beta, this might be interesting. But how did Grimmjow secure him?"  
Nel practically bounced. "Grimm-kitty cat has to share! Or he take away momma-Itsygo from them all!"

"Appacci, go see what you can find out, I am curious about the situation. The male alphas tend to be less than willing to 'share' their prizes. And after Grimmjow disobeyed orders to try and kill this shinigami…"

Appacci stood and left the room. Nel happily played with the women for quite some time before she became bored again.

"Nel want to see Itsygo-Momma!" she whined and left the room.

Finally she came to a room where his scent was strong. She wandered in, seemingly oblivious to the barriers and crawled up on a bed with her Itsygo. She saw he was naked, barely covered, and she sniffed deep into his neck. "Grimmy-kittycat started the heat in momma-itsygo, and Nell smell the cubbies!"

She moved up to look at his face, slightly twisted in pain. She kissed his cheek. "Momma-Itsygo, keep them for Nel!"

She then laid her head on his belly and fell asleep. She was abruptly woke by Ulquiorra tossing her off the shinigami. She looked up, and frowned, wanting to protect her Momma-Itsygo but she knew he was an alpha. She instead moved behind his head and watched.

"Shinigami," he announced, and when he didn't move, proceeded to dress him forcefully, as he fought in his sleep. He then yanked him up by the wrist to a standing position, and he finally shook awake and looked at him with bleary eyes, not really registering what was happening as he was yanked along with the green eyed espada in a sonido.

Nel frowned. Alone again without her Momma-Itsygo! She took off and sniffed out Ulquiorra. She pulled on his pants. The impassive espada glanced down at her.

"Take Nel to momma!" she announced.

The ever impassive cuarta shook his head and walked on, heading to the main common area to seat himself. Nel was hot on his heels as he sat down. In a flash she was sitting on his head, holding onto his horned helm with one hand and leaning over staring at him upside down.

"Nel want momma-Itsygo!" she announced, as the espada plucked her off his head and sat her down, pointedly ignoring her. Well, to his credit, he tried to ignore her. But Nel would not be ignored.

For the next few minutes she found everyway in the three worlds to climb, jump, touch and bother the espada. Gin was sitting across the way looking extremely amused at the situation, wondering when the espada of despair would crack. He hoped when it happened they wouldn't have to replace the common room, he rather liked it as it was now after Yammy and Grimmjow had destroyed it a few weeks ago.

"Leave," Ulquiorra commanded, almost, not quite, but almost, frowning. He stood up and found Nel latched to his ankle.

"Nel not leave greeny until Nel see Momma-Itsygo!"

Ulquiorra sighed and reached down, grabbing her by the back of her clothes and sonidoed to the doorway where Ichigo was currently with his companions. He opened the door and dumped her in, sealing it behind her. Better to have them deal with her than him.

Nel was so happy, running to her Momma-Itsygo but then was sad as she sniffed and found no trace of the cubs. She told them and proceeded to snuggle her Momma-Itsygo. But that was cut short when Szayel came in demanding to see him. She sat in his warm recently vacated seat. After Szayel left, she didn't want to bother him, so she snuck into a bedroom and snuggled into some soft sheets to sleep. When she woke up, there was a body beside her and she looked to see the sleeping form of the dark haired boy.

She thought about finding her Momma-Itsygo but heard screaming that she knew to be him. What had happened to her Momma-Itsygo she thought as the dark haired boy stumbled out of the bed into the common area. She followed behind his feet and saw Ulquiorra go into Momma-Itsygo's room. She couldn't go in there if his alpha was there! There was murmured conversation and she was sure they'd forgotten she was even there. Soon, the green eyed espada came out, pulling Ichigo with him and Nel was fast and out the door right behind them, barely getting out before it sealed shut. She thought about following, but she smelled the scent of rutting on the green eyed espada, and she frowned to think what he was going to do to her Momma-Itsygo to make more cubs.

So she wandered again, thinking what she could to so she wasn't bored. Finally she was back at the room with all the girls. She smiled and skipped into the room, hopping into the snakey arrancar's lap.

"Nel," she said looking down. "Where is your momma?"

Nel smiled. "Greeny is makin' cubs now!"

Sun-sun glanced at her two fellow fraccions. "Greeny?"

"I believe she means Ulquiorra," Halibel said, entering the room. "I'm surprised cuarta would lower himself to lay with trash."

Nel jumped up and frowned, her eyes sparking with barely contained reiatsu the was reminiscent of the woman at her full strength. "Momma-Itsygo is strong! Even lazy is going to be Momma-Itsygo's alpha!"

At that Halibel quirked an eyebrow. That was certainly interesting. She didn't know the primera to move much, let alone spend more than a few hours awake. If he was taking this beta to bed, he must be incredibly power. She nodded to the furious green haired girl, who settled almost immediately. "Nel play now!"

Sometime later she woke up in the room, snuggled against Mila Rose on the floor. She sat up and stretched and felt her Momma Itsygo's reiatsu flare out, along with the one eyed one and Grimm-kittycat. She frowned. Momma-Itsygo hadn't liked it the last time, but she didn't feel any distress this time from this one. It was pleasant, almost warm. She smiled and snuggled back down with the lion arrancar, satisfied that Momma-Itsygo was okay.

After a little bit, Nel decided to see how her Momma-Itsygo was and fell into step behind Ulquiorra who was headed the same way, almost jumping when Stark came out of sonido beside him.

"It's time, are you going to him?" the lazy one asked the green eyed one.

Ulquiorra nodded. "I do not know why. I…feel…when he's near me," he looked at the brunette espada carefully. "It is unfamiliar. I do not understand this."

Stark yawned dramatically and nodded. "I don't know, I don't feel lonely with him. That, too, is unfamiliar to me."

Then they were gone, and Nel quickly followed, sliding through the door behind them, once more keeping a careful eye on her Momma. She could feel the roiling reiatsu and she sensed the overwhelming presence of the reiatsu chambers forming around the souls inside her Momma-Itsygo. She smiled. The alphas had come to help him! That was a surprise. Nel knew that the task could kill momma-Itsygo since he was weakened. And normally the alphas didn't care; if they died they should have been stronger. But no, all four had come and were supporting him, their own overbearing reiatsu seeping out and boosting the beta's, helping reduce the drain on his limited supplies of spiritual energy.

When it was done, the reiatsu receded, and all four of the alphas slumped into an exhausted sleep. It couldn't be helped. They all desperately wanted to have their soul survive inside the beta, and the beta desperately wanted the same thing to pour so much of his own energy into the act that he would have died without help. Nel snuck in and found a pillow and curled up under the bed heavy with the bodies of the espada and her momma-Itsygo.

Nel was sleeping peacefully when a massive burse of Momma-Itsygo's angry reiatsu left her awake and shuddering under the bed. She gasped a she heard the outer door slap, a crackling sound where the barrier had been ripped open and resealed itself behind him. She panicked, her heart racing. Momma-Itsygo shouldn't go out there alone! Not after the chambers had just formed last night! He was weak, too weak, and if he ran into any other arrancar!

But Nel was scared so she stayed put, under the bed, crying in silence. She waited. And it seemed like forever when she heard Grimmjow's voice rising in the next room. She crept to the door and listened as he told them that Momma-Itysgo had been hurt by two of Barragan's fraccion. She felt her heart ache as she scurried out the door, nearly tripping Stark who stared down at her lazily.

"Is Momma-Itsygo okay? Is the cubbies okay? Nel want to know!" she cried at him.

Stark reached down and ruffled her hair, the little girl arrancar reminding her of Lilynette. "He is going to be fine. He needs to rest."

"Who hurt Nel Momma-Itsygo?" she asked, her eyes again gleaming with barely contained reiatsu.

"Barragan's Findorr and Ggio. But after Grimmjow and Nnoitra got done with them, they aren't going to be doing much for a while," he said shrugging.

Nel nodded. "Good. Nel is glad. Nel go find friends now. You take care of Momma-Itsygo?"

Stark yawned again. "He's with Szayel. He'll be fine. We're not going to leave him alone anymore, too dangerous for the cubs. And him," he said, adding the thought on the end, almost absently, then disappeared in a sonido.

Nel ran to Halibel's rooms and launcher herself into Appacci's arms bawling, tears and snot dripping from her face. Appacci held her arm's length and grimaced.

"The hell is wrong with you?" she asked, Sun-Sun and Mila Rose coming over and Halibel coming from the other room.

"Momma-Itsygo got hurt again!" she wailed.

Halibel tightened her back recalling Stark showing up in the meeting, his arms full of a bundle that an orange shock of hair had stuck out from his own coat. He'd made an offhand remark to Barragan about his fraccion and took off with Szayel. Despite appearances, her interest in the male beta came from the fact that she herself, while an alpha female, took care of her betas, and saw them almost as equals or at least friends.

"What happened, Nel?" she asked.

Nel sniffed harshly, sucking a glob of snot up her nose making Mila Rose retch slightly and turn away. "Momma-Itsygo's friends got him mad and he left, but two found him, and they hurt him!"

Appacci had set the wailing child espada down and she was sniffing loudly now, tears still streaming down her face. "Nel is scared! What if they hurt the cubs when they hurt him! Momma-Itsygo is out of heat!"

Halibel and her fraccion exchanged glances. Alphas could continue to mate with their betas after a successful heat, but only if they carried their reiatsu signature in the chambers. Anyone else that tried to mate with the beta would disrupt the reiatsu and lead to them degrading, and leading to another heat to quickly replace the lost cubs. It was a vicious cycle, and one of the reasons that Halibel kept her beta females so close to her.

Nel continued to cry but Halibel left her there and went to see Szayel and find out what had happened. She entered the room and saw that Ichigo was asleep, a huge purple bruise coloring one side of his jaw.

Szayel looked up. "Tercera," he commented, going about checking the vital signs of the beta.

"What happened to him?" she asked simply.

The octavo sighed. "Well, seems that Findorr and Ggio decided that they wanted to try a little bit of fun on the espada's little beta here. He was lucky. Grimmjow yanked that blond idiot off him before he could finish and destroy the cubs. I've already had to tend to both of them. Nnoitra and Grimmjow made them wish they were dead. I doubt they'll be leaving Barragan's castle for the next few days, maybe a week or two."

"Findorr isn't strong enough to take this beta," she said, walking over to him, running a hand over his sleeping frame. "I would have liked him among my fraccion if the others weren't so adamant to have him. He is just as vulnerable as my own fraccion were once long ago."

Szayel nodded. "He'll be fine, even without the woman to heal him."

Halibel frowned. "The woman? Isn't she with the others?"

Szayel shook his head. "Primera requested Aizen-sama send one of them home, to keep the beta in check. He is much less resistant when he thinks he is helping protect his friends. Even when his friends are the ones that got him into the situation."

Halibel nodded and headed back to tell Nell that her adopted mother was fine. Once she was satisfied, Nel skipped off to who knows where to wait until she could go see her Momma-Itsygo again. Halibel stood thoughtfull then turned to her fraccion.

"Keep an eye on the beta, I have a feeling that there will be repercussions from the other fraccion of Barragan's. They are foolish idiots, and may retaliate on him," she said sighing.


	11. Retalliation

"You're kidding me?" the arrancar with the purple hair said, looking at the two incapacitated fraccion.

His companion, bare-chested and covered in red tattoos snorted. "That's what Barragan said. They got beat up by Grimmjow and Nnoitra."

"Why didn't Barragan do nothing?" the helmet headed Nirgge stated.

Ggio and Findorr were both in Barragan's castle now, both bound up in many bandages and waiting for their bodies to regenerate. The remaining four fraccion stood around them and pondered if perhaps retaliation was in order.

"It's not like we can take on Nnoitra and Grimmjow directly," Charlotte said, flipping his purple locks of her shoulder. "Why did it happen?"

The red tattooed Abirama snorted. "They found a beta, a human shinigami, and Findorr was taking advantage of the proffered flesh. If they didn't want him getting passed around, he shouldn't have been wandering the halls alone."

Charlotte nodded. "If we can't reach them, then we reach their beta."

Abirama looked up between him and Nirgge. "That's perfect. But how?"

"They're keeping close to him, but it doesn't mean that they can't be separated. Especially if we can draw his keeper into a fight," Charlotte offered.

"But if it is one of the espada…" Abirama said thoughtfully.

Now Charlotte grinned wider. "Then we wait for Aizen to call another meeting, and make our move then."

Ichigo awoke very warm and happy. He snuggled into someone who was laying beside him, and curled his arms around the comfortable weight. His head was buzzing and he was pleased with what he felt at that moment. So he remained still until his stomach grumbled telling him he really needed to eat. But then, just as soon a wave of nausea flooded over him and he started fighting to get his arms free, realizing that both were trapped under sleeping forms.

"Get off, you big oafs!" he grumbled, Grimmjow gripping him tighter and growling.

"Goddammit, let me go or I'm going to puke on your head!" he exclaimed, the world rolling sickly in his vision.

Grimmjow's eyes flew open and he sat up, letting Ichigo scramble out of the bed, slipping and landing face first in the floor as he did so. Ulquiorra got up and looked over to see Ichigo sprawled, legs tangled in the blanket and crawling toward the bathroom. Finally, his feet got enough purchase and he proceeded to lavishly worship at the toilet. As soon as he was done, he came out and looked at Ulquiorra and Grimmjow with a smile.

"I'm starved, what about you two?" he said.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "I have matters to attend to, Grimmjow, will you stay and ensure his safety?"

"Whatever, fuck, get out of here," Grimmjow said, flopping back on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

Ichigo opened the door after putting on his hakama, the full ones this time, and shrugging into the new coat. He glanced briefly at his stomach wondering if there would be any outward signs of the reiatsu chambers. Souls really weren't like physical bodies, but then, he had a physical body… Granted this was his soul form, so maybe it didn't matter. He wandered out into the large common area to see Ishida working on some handicrafts. Things certainly didn't all that much.

"Oi, Kurosaki," Ishida said, standing. "How are you?"

Ichigo frowned. "Not good but not bad. This is all just too fucking weird, you know."

"Fuckin' Aizen," Grimmjow grumbled as he came out of the bedroom shrugging into his vest. He looked at Renji. "We have a meeting with the fucker; can you take him to Szayel's? I'm sure the threat of death has been thrown into most the arrancar after yesterday, but yer the closest to an alpha in here that I'll fuckin' trust with him. So I want you and the Quincy bitch to take him down there in an hour or so. And if any fraccion try to touch him you take their head fucking off. I'm gonna ask Halibel to send over one of her fraccion just in case, as well. Between the three of you, I don't think any random fraccion should be a problem."

Ichigo frowned. "I don't need an escort everywhere."

"Like hell. You realize if you get fucked by another male, the reiatsu chambers get destroyed, right? And yer stuck with their cubs instead of ours?" Grimmjow said, eyeing him.

He got the expected shock. "I…I didn't know, but I'm not going to let…"

"You don't understand, these are hollows. It is a fuckin' drive to take a beta they find with cubs and replace it with their cubs. They go back, get taken care of by their stronger alpha, not knowing that the cubs being carried aren't their cubs. That's how the lower ranking alphas work," Grimmjow growled at him. "Yer too weak to fight, so until you aren't, you get a fuckin' escort. I'd make fuckin' Szayel come here, but he needs his equipment to determine what he's looking for."

Ichigo nodded. Renji looked up. "If there's a meeting, won't Szayel be there?"

Grimmjow nodded. "Yeah, but his fraccion can get him hooked up to the machine to measure the reiatsu chambers, and by then we should, hopefully, be done."

He headed out and before long there was a knock at the door, and Halibel's fraccion with the short, dark cropped hair stood there. Appacci, if Ichigo remembered correctly.

"I'll be out here, you should shower and change first," she said nodding to him.

Ichigo did just that, standing under the streaming hot water for a long time, so long that he heard banging on the door. He sighed, stepping out, hearing Renji complain that they needed to go. He dressed quickly; another pair of white hakama had been left for him, and a long jacketed coat. He wished he had shoes, but oh well.

Soon enough, they were walking out, Renji and Ishida at his side, and Appacci walking ahead of them. It wasn't far, but it was good they had Appacci with them to lead the way. Ichigo had gotten hopelessly lost the day before. All the damn corridors looked the same. Ichigo didn't was talking idly about the annoyingly white structure when there was a bang and in front of him, Appacci hit the ground in a lump, a huge arrancar having leaped down and knocked her out with a single blow. Ichigo leaped back into Renji at the huge man, at least ten or twelve foot tall, leaning over in the tall hallway.

There was a clang and Ichigo swung around to see another arrancar had slapped some sort of reiatsu dampening collar around Renji's neck from behind. How'd he get there? He hadn't even heard a sonido! Renji fell to his knees out of the helmet headed arrancar's grasp. Ishida had managed to manifest his bow, only to have his wrist grabbed and wrenched painfully behind him. He let out a shriek of pain and looked over at the purple haired arrancar that had him in a vice grip.

"Now, now, Quincy, none of that," a fourth one said, this one bare chested with red tattoos all over him. He looked at Renji, struggling with the reiatsu sealing collar. "I like you, too bad we can't fight right now."

Ichigo felt corned as he backed into the wall, looking down and seeing Appacci not moving. His heart was in his throat. "See, we didn't really like what happened yesterday to Findor and Ggio. They are fellow fraccion, after all. And Barragan-sama needs his fraccion. Yet somehow, Grimmjow and Nnoitra got to do what they did with no repercussions. All over you. A fragile, breakable, human."

Ichigo really wished he had Zangetsu right at that moment. His eyes glanced back and forth wanting to run, but there was a burst of sonido and the freaky red marked arrancar was there, pinning his shoulders flat to the wall.

"Charlotte, what do you think is so special about him?" he called over his shoulder.

The purple haired one, Charlotte, it seemed shrugged. "He's weak now, but I don't think he is weak in the long run. Maybe one of those special ones that can carry more than two without having his entire being wilted away, Abirama."

Abirama pressed a hand to Ichigo's midsection. He frowned then ripped open the coat he was wearing, revealing the bare flesh underneath and repeated the action. "Oh, he is primed. Wouldn't be a shame if I ruined the espada's day? Who's cubs?"

Ichigo swallowed, shaking his head, not intending to tell them anything. It was met with a sound slap to the face.

"Fuck you!" Ichigo responded. "I'm not telling you!"

Abirama sighed. "Are they Grimmjow or Nnoitra's?"

Ichigo turned away. "Don't know yet, so I can't tell you!"

"Ah, then they might be Grimmjow's or Nnoitra's? Well, since they messed up my fellow fraccion, I think I'll mess up their precious offspring," he said, reaching down and unknotting the obi on Ichigo's waist.

Ichigo froze. "Stop, no, come on, let me go…" he cried, struggling and finally kicking out to knee the guy in the groin. He dropped him reflexively and Ichigo scrambled, nearly falling from his hakama trying to fall off his hips when he was grabbed by the thick, helmeted one. He was screaming obscenities at him as he kicked and punched, but there was no effect as he felt his hair yanked from behind, eliciting a loud yelp from him. The guy was a little taller than him, but not too much.

"Little beta bitch, you'll pay for that," he said and before Ichigo could react he was tossed, slamming back first into the wall beside Ishida.

He saw stars as he stood up, staggering to the side. He saw Ishida struggling against the purple haired guy and he tried to lunge at him so Ishida could go free, but once again his hair was yanked back painfully.

"Bastard!" he yelled as he was picked up to his tip toes by his hair. "Fuck! They're going to kill you for this!"

He smiled. "But not before yer knocked up with _my_ cubs instead of their cubs. And Charlotte maybe, and perhaps Nirgge over there. I'd let Choe over there have a chance too, but I'm afraid if Nnoitra almost killed you, he definitely would split you in two. Then you'll have cubs for Barragan-sama, and not those other worthless espada."

Renji wrestled to try to even stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him. He couldn't even scream. Ishida was only human, he wasn't a shinigami, so he could only do so much, and that flouncy purple haired arrancar had a tight hold on him, but if he didn't do something…

Suddenly, Renji yelped as he was yanked up by his own hair and dragged over to the wall beside Ishida. The gigantic arrancar, Choe by name, reached down and clamped him against the wall in a huge hand.

"Now, now, we can't have you running off," Abirama said with a grin, still holding the struggling Ichigo slightly up on his tip toes.

He pulled Ichigo down and bit down on his neck fiercely, blood spurting outward and he screamed at the pain but then he was dropped. He tried to regain his footing, attempting to hang onto his hakama with one hand as he scrambled to his feet, only to tumble face first into the floor as the hakama were yanked off him in a smooth move from the arrancar behind him.

"Stop!" he cried out as he felt his ankle grabbed and pulled toward him. He turned over and struck out with his opposite foot, managing to connect with the arrancar's face. He barely flinched before punching him soundly, knocking a lot of the fight out of him.

Ishida wanted to turn away, and he found himself hoping someone would come soon. Ichigo was holding him off, but barely. Every kick or punch the young shinigami connected with was returned with a much more vicious one. When he looked up the next time he tried to disentangle himself from the arrancar, his face was swelling already, and the wound on his neck was still bleeding. It looked like he'd smashed his nose into the floor, blood freely flowing from it.

"This is ridiculous, Niggre, hold him down already, I like a little fight but this is getting out of hand," he said as Ichigo managed to slip away again before he pinned him to the ground.

Soon he found himself slammed roughly into the floor on his back, the huge helmeted man pressing his shoulders until he swore they were straining to pop out of place. Still his legs were free and he kicked up, nailing the arrancar in the chin. He looked down with eyes full of anger and before he knew it, he screamed as he felt his shin bone crack from a quick strike.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll break the other one, too," he growled and held down his legs at the knees. Ichigo panted and continued to struggle.

"You don't have to be conscious for this, boy," he growled.

"Knock me out, fucker!" Ichigo screamed. "That's the only way you'll get this done without a fight!"

He kicked up with his still unbroken leg to try and smash him in the back of the skull only to have it caught and the ankle twisted until it snapped. He screeched again, dropping that leg painfully to the ground, panting. His mind was swirling for things to try and defend himself. He called out desperately to his inner hollow.

_"Help, I need your help!"_

_King if I help you now, the cubs die. I'm the only thing keeping them safe._

Ichigo rolled his eyes, about ready to pass out only to receive a slap to the face, bringing him out of the stupor.

"Nah, I want you awake so you can scream for me some more while I kill what's trying to live inside you, because you'll feel each one of their souls dissipate into nothingness only to be replaced by my own," he said and Ichigo tried to pull away from the crushing weight on his shoulders. He turned his head, both Ishida and Renji were watching wide eyed and completely immobilized by the two arrancar.

The four fraccion of Barragan were engrossed in the scene playing out in front of them, but Renji heard a gasp and looked over to see Nel hiding in the shadows. He stared at her and nodded and hoped the childish arrancar would know he wanted her to go get help. She must have got it because she turned and ran back down the hall, hopefully to get Chad and Rukia, or the other espada.

Ichigo's scream brought him back to the scene in front of him. It looked like the brute had succeeded in pushing one of his shoulders out of place. Ichigo was panting and running out of ways to fight, and Renji knew it was inevitable at this point.

"Get fucking off me!" he yelled still, trying to get his knees up to use them, even if he couldn't use his whole leg.

Abirama grinned and grabbed him by the broken ankle with one hand and grabbed the other shin and pulled them up onto his chest, getting a yelp as he yanked them around his waist. "This could have been easy for you, you know, if you didn't fight, and now I have to do this the hard way."

With that Ichigo, arched his back and screamed out as he rammed himself into him. And Ichigo could feel the malic roiling off of him as he felt the tears start in his eyes as the man over him mercilessly forced himself on him. He felt the hollow inside him screaming out to make him stop because they would die if he didn't get him to stop before the foreign reiatsu blasted the chambers from existence. So focused were they on what was happening, they didn't notice that Appacci had recovered and stood bleeding where she'd fallen. She lunged at Abirama, his pace quickening and becoming erratic as he neared his release, and thus the end of the cubs that Ichigo carried.

With a feral scream she landed a hard, flying kick into his temple, sending him backward. Ichigo's hips hit the floor and he yelped at the jarring it sent through both his legs and their injuries. The other one stood up, and Ichigo managed to roll to his stomach to pull away from where the fraccions were fighting. Appacci was going full out on Abirama, and now Nggire was joining to gang up on her together. The other two remained where they were, watching but not sure if keeping the prisoners was more important or the fight.

That question was immediately solved as a ball of blue fury flew at the massive beast of a man. Ichigo looked up, realizing that Grimmjow was in released form. He'd never seen that. He sighed as he felt someone grab him and he realized it was Renji. He looked up at his red haired friend, who shucked his own kusodo and wrapped him up in it and hefted him up with quickly to get him away from the fights that had broken out between Barragan's fraccion and apparently, Hallibels, because now as Sun-Sung, and Mila Rose had joined in to help their sister against Abirama and Nggire.

Charlotte had let Ishida go and had been engaged by Ulquiorra. Now Ishida kneeled against the wall as Renji held Ichigo in his lap. Ichigo had passed out, and Renji looked down at him and felt sick. This had been to get back at Grimmjow and Nnoitra for attacking the other two fraccion. Before long, Barragan's fraccion had all retreated, and Grimmjow and Ulquiorra kneeled down where Renji held Ichigo.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow asked hotly. "What the fuck did I leave you in control for!"

Appacci walked up, bleeding and leaning on Mila Rose. "Fuckers were organized, Grimmjow. This was about getting you and Nnoitra back after what you did to Findorr and Ggio. They brought me down, then incapacitated those two, while Abirama went after Ichigo." She paused to breathe heavily. "Fuckin Choe knocked me flat, didn't even see him. I think if Primera is on your side, you should have him take this up with Barragan."

Grimmjow nodded, and saw the collar on Renji's neck. "The fuck is that, Red?"

Renji winced, trying to pull it but got a shock for his efforts. "Sucks…my…reiatsu…"

"We gotta get to Szayel. Looks like he gave Abirama a helluva fight," Grimmjow muttered.

"Fuck yeah he did," Renji said, gathering the strength to speak. "He fucking fought him so much the other one had to hold him, and he still managed to nearly kick his head off. It earned him the broken ankle though….and I think his shoulder's out of joint, and his shin bone on the other side I think he snapped."

Grimmjow looked up at Ulquiorra and back at Ichigo. "This fuckin' human has more balls than half the fuckin' arrancar around here. He doesn't know how to fuckin' quit. Again, pinned down like that, knowing he doesn't have shit for power, yet he still fuckin' tries to kill them."


	12. The Protector

Ichigo groaned, feeling something cold underneath him, and it was hard. He briefly thought about going back to sleep. It had been nice and dark, but then a shock of fear went through him and he shot up to a sitting position, looking around wildly, his hands folded over his midsection. He was in the lab again, Szayel's lab. He looked down, covered with a sheet, now pooled at his waist. He felt blood trickling down his arm and looked to see he'd ripped out some sort of IV or something when he sat up. There was a frantic beeping in the background and he felt a cold sweat break out on him.

The door flew open and Szayel, who had looked a little worried, sighed. "You're awake!" he said and moved over, turning off the machines that were beeping.

Ichigo still couldn't sense anyone, his reiatsu sensing abilities that always had sucked now even worse. "How are they? Are they okay? He was trying to kill them…"

Szayel looked up, curious to see the look of fear and worry on the shinigami's face. That was unexpected. He appeared to be worried about the cubs he was carrying, no matter how unwilling he had been to engage in the process.

Szayel pushed him down onto the table. "Please, settle yourself, it isn't any good for the cubs, okay?"

A look of relief passed over his features and he smiled. Then he frowned. "But…but they aren't that bastard's right, Apacci got to him first? I don't think I could handle that if he destroyed them…"

"Just, please, Ichigo, we're not finished with the tests, but from what Apacci and the Quincy said, he didn't get a chance to use his reiatsu. But it was close, far too close, but the Quincy has superior reiatsu sensing ability, he felt no surge in power. So you need to stay here a little while until I can confirm it. You were supposed to get the test today anyway to see how many chambers had formed. So try and relax," he said, rolling his eyes.

Ichigo forced himself to relax then he remembered both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were fighting. "Are they okay? Grimm and Ulkea?"

Szayel turned back to stare at the top of his head. He was at the head of the table and now this was curious. "They're fine, waiting rather impatiently outside in the front for me to report on your condition, along with Nnoitra and Stark."

"What happened? How'd they end up there?" he said as Szayel hooked up some monitoring devices to him. "I thought they were in a meeting with you."

Szayel nodded. "We were, then Nel came bursting in the door, surprising everyone saying that her Itysgo momma was in trouble again and that you needed help. It was lucky that Apacci had recovered when she did. Abirama had already started to release the reiatsu, and it very nearly obliterated one of the chambers. Somehow, it managed to survive. Would that hollow of yours have something to do with that?"

Ichigo nodded. "I think so, I asked for help and he said he was trying to secure the chambers so he couldn't help me. And then he was screaming in my head before Apacci kicked the arrancar off me. Argh! This is humiliating, I can't even protect myself, how can I protect them?"

The door banged open just then and four extremely angry and worried espada forced their way in past Szayel's fraccion. He'd have to replace at least one or two after this. He sighed and moved back, allowing the four alphas to crowd in around him. Grimmjow grabbed his hand and stared at him.

"Ya can't keep outta trouble, can ya?" he said solemnly.

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah, you know me."

"Barragan will be dealt with," Stark said sleepily. "I will see something done about this. I should have handled it before, but I'm too lazy."

"Oh, fuck…" came Szayel's voice from behind them.

"What is it, freak?" asked Grimmjow looking up.

"Four. Four chambers," he said quietly.

Ichigo didn't quite understand what was happening, but all four of the alpha espada were staring at him intently.

"What? So they're will be four, what's the big deal?" he asked.

Ulquiorra was the one to speak. "It doesn't happen. Two is common, three is risky, but four… I've never heard of even a vasto lorde able to survive it."

Ichigo was quiet for a moment. "But will the cubs live?" he asked slowly.

Szayel spoke now. "They will, doubtless, but I have doubts that you will survive the process. Each one sucks the reiatsu out of you to survive. Over the next three months they will develop, but it is hard to predict at this point."

Ichigo nodded. "Okay, that's fine then."

"The fuck, that's fine then?" asked Grimmjow, frowning down at him. "He just told ya that ya will probably die!"

Ichigo looked up. "But if they live, it's okay, you know, I can say I protected them until the end."

Stark swallowed and sighed. "I'm going to deal with Barragan. I'll be back."

"Do you want to see?" Szayel asked.

Ichigo turned and saw on the monitor an image. There were four flickering balls of light, one green, two blue and one golden. All around them, black with red flowed back and forth. It wasn't recognizable as the inside of a body like a human sonogram, this was a reiatsu map. He found himself smiling despite himself, despite knowing that those balls of energy probably meant his own death. But he was strangely okay with that.

"No," Nnoitra said suddenly looking at Szayel. "Remove one of 'em, so he can survive it."

Szayel shook his head. "It's too late for that. The process was accelerated by the stress earlier today."

Ichigo reached out and took Nnoitra's hand. "Nnoi, but one of them is your's!"

Nnoitra frowned. "I don't care. Ya see, I never thought like this, and now, I want ya to stick around."

Szayel sighed and cleared his throat. "There's one possibility."

Everyone turned to him. "Right now, Ichigo's hollow is doing what he can to shore up the chambers, but the strain on him is immense. So they only way is to supplement the reiatsu with one of the parent reiatsu."

Szayel was met with four pair of eyes. He sighed. "So you'd have to repeat the process to implant reiatsu. So sex. Again. And a lot, or he will die before the end."

Despite himself Ichigo felt a blush shoot up his face. The three espada stared at him and a slight grin crossed each of their faces. "Looks like we'll need that apartment to ourselves after all, unless you want yer friends listening every night," Grimmjow said with a smirk.

Ichigo buried his head in his hands to hide his beet red face. After a few minutes Stark entered, and quickly was brought up to speed. He smiled at Ichigo.

"So Barragan agreed that after you are back to full strength you get your choice of fights with his fraccion. One or all of them, however many you want. And as a consolation, Aizen agreed to release another of your friends," he said reaching out and brushing a hand over his hair.

Ichigo beamed. "Oh please, can one of you take one back now? I want them to go home so badly!"

Nnoitra rolled his eye. "Whatever, kid, I'll grab one and drag 'em through the garganta."

So Nnoitra strolled out of the room, and headed down to the room with his friends. He didn't know which to grab and didn't want to wait. The quincy was nursing a broken wrist, and the red head was an alpha type that could still come in handy. So the tall guy or the shorty. Whoever was close when he walked in. He nodded, and opened the door.

Everyone looked up and he grinned a creepy wide grin. He glanced over and saw the tall human standing closest. "Hey, giant, yer on tha' way home, ain't ya happy?"

With that he snapped his fingers to open the garganta and grabbed Chad's wrist and pulled him through. Before long they came out above a shop that read Urahara Shoten. He sonidoed down to the ground and there was a flash step and he found himself surrounded by shinigami. One wore a green coat and weird bucket hat, another was dark with a white haori bunched over one shoulder, one was a short silver haired boy, and the last one was a purple haired woman in black and orange.

"Yo, come on, Imma justa delivery person here," he said, hands wide. "See, didn't even bring mah zanpakuto."

All four relaxed around the tall arrancar. "Who are you?" the one in the bucket hat said.

"Nnoitra, quinta espada," he said, sticking his tongue out to see that he had a five tattooed on it. "Just dropping off this one for ya."

"Why? I thought Ichigo had to do what he was wanted to do in order for them to be realeased," the one with the white haoiri on his shoulder stated.

Nnoitra nodded, then scratched his head. "Yah, well, we had an incident so it was decided that to make it up ta Ichi we'd bring another of his friends home."

"Where is my son? You already almost killed him why shouldn't I kill you now?" the dark haired one asked, raising his zanpakto up higher to Nnoitra's neck.

Nnoitra reached out and wrapped a long hand around it and Isshin could feel the force he was exerting on it. "Ya can't cut me, shinigami. My hierro is strongest among us. And I'm gonna let it slide if yer Ichi's father. I don't wanna piss 'im off by killin' anyone he cares about."

Isshin stepped back, along with the others. "What do you mean, you don't want to piss him off?"

Nnoitra sighed. "Look, yah, I had trouble at first with 'im. Ya know how hard it is to remember someone don't have hierro? I'm used to fuckin' hollows, which regenerate as fast as they bleed, so fuck if I knew he was so fuckin' delicate," he said rolling his eyes. "But we worked it out but I have to fuckin' get back ta him before he dies. It gonna take all four of us to see him live through it."

Isshin raised his sword again. "What do you mean, before he dies?"

"He's got four reiatsu chambers, which should be fuckin' impossible. But even two chambers can kill lesser arrancars and hollows. And after this last incident, he's fuckin' weakened and if the alphas don't feed reiatsu to tha cubs, Ichi is gonna pour every last drop inta keepin' them alive."

"What incident?" the blond in the weird hat said.

Nnoitra frowned. "I'm not gonna fuckin' go into everything, this quiet giant can fill ya in, but he was attacked again, and it was in retaliation for our response ta the first time. This time they came all out, and made sure red pineapple head and Quincy boy were incapacitated along with his arrancar escort. The fucker wanted to replace the cubs with his own, but we got to him before he was done, though it was fuckin' close. Now because he had to put so much inta keeping the chambers intact, he's at a low for reiatsu."

He started to turn away but was blocked by the small man wearing a haoiri. "What makes you think we'll let you leave?" he asked.

Nnoitra shrugged. "Because yer friend has one o'my cubs inside 'im, and if I'm not there to help, it will kill him before the week's over."

Toshiro's hand dropped, and they watched as the garganta opened up. Nnoitra looked down at them. "I can make a try to get ya to see 'im. It would make 'im happy. But I gotta get through Aizen. So just wait, an maybe I can come get ya."

As the tall arrancar left, all eyes fell on Chad. Isshida sighed. "Is it true? What he said?"

Chad merely nodded, and was waved into the shop where he was promptly tackled by Inoue. He smiled and held onto her as she cried on his shoulder about seeing him again. Soon, he was seated and a familiar recording device was in the center of the table as he detailed what had happened since Inoue had left.

-Las Noches—

Nnoitra headed back to Szayel's and found Ichigo had already left. He frowned, a little disappointed but Szayel walked in. "They are using the room next to where the shinigami's friends are to stay in for now. Aizen agreed, amazingly. Makes me wonder why he's being so damn agreeable with all this."

"Stronger fighters?" he said sighing and headed to the room next door. He knocked and didn't hear anything, but it was unlocked and had no seal. He entered to find Stark sleeping on the sofa. Lillynette came out of one of the rooms.

She glowered at him. "You know what a pain in the ass this is?"

Nnoitra shrugged. "Where's our beta?"

She sighed. "Over next door."

Nnoitra left and headed over to find Ichigo in a heated discussion with the black haired shinigami. He still had a sort of walking cast on his ankle, but the shin bone had been healed quickly by Szayel. The ankle, though, had been somewhat crushed and the injection to repair the bone was taking longer.

"I can't believe you! You're going through with this even though it might kill you?" she said, glaring up at him with a death glare. Grimmjow sat on the couch, one leg over the arm, watching. Ulquiorra stood to the side and watched impassively.

"Rukia! Like I have a choice!" he had put both hands on his hips, and Nnoitra did everything he could not to snicker.

"That Szayel can figure out how to get rid of them and…"

Rukia was shocked out of her line of thinking when Ichigo slapped her. Not hit her, just open handed slapped her. Her hand went to her face and she stared at him with wide purple eyes without saying anything.

Ichigo blinked, then covered mouth with both hands. "Oh god, I'm sorry Rukia!" he exclaimed. "I…I…." he stammered.

Rukia sighed, letting down her hand. It wasn't that painful, actually, compared to what Ichigo's full strength was, it was nothing. "You can't even slap me with enough force to leave a red mark, Ichigo. Renji and Uryu told me about what happened, and you can't keep going like this."

Ichigo turned and crossed his arms and Nnoitra could see the heat rising in him, the reiatsu beginning to rise along with his stress. "I'm not getting rid of them because it isn't their fuckin' fault. They didn't ask for this. _I_ didn't ask for this. But like hell I'm going to let them die because it might kill me in the end. If I die, I die."

Nnoitra leaned back. He was the furthest from him, so it would be Ulquiorra or Grimmjow that acted first. Rukia didn't seem to notice, though and kept going. "Ichigo, I'm worried about you! You're going to give up your life for offspring that came from you being forced into this!"

Ichigo turned, and when he did, the gold in his eyes flashed, and then Grimmjow was over the back of the couch.

"Sleep," he said sternly, and Ichigo's eyes went wide with surprise and then he crumpled back into Grimmjow's arms.

Grimmjow glowered at Rukia as he picked him up in his arms. "Look, if ya gonna fight when he comes in here, I ain't lettin' him come in here. He made his choice, shinigami. Now, we're doin' what we can to keep 'im alive. We've decided that him dyin' for the cubs isn't an option for us. But he can't know it. We've got three months, so we'll see."

He turned and left, followed by Nnoitra and Ulquiorra. He stared down at him and took him to his room for the night. None of the others argued with the sexta. They knew once he'd made up his mind, it was not going to change. He gently laid him down and then curled up next to him.

"Wake," he softly commanded, letting him wake slowly from the commanded slumber. He blinked wearily and looked up at him.

"Hey, princess," Grimmjow said softly, running a hand over his chest gently.

Ichigo snorted. "Don't call me that. What'd you do that for?"

"You were getting' worked up. Dangerous to let that happen again, ya know," he said, sliding a finger underneath one of the buttons of the jacket. Ichigo looked down and frowned.

"What the hell are you doing?" he said softly.

Grimmjow continued until all the buttons were undone and he ran a hand up and down his chest and stomach. "Helping you. We have to take the next days to help strengthen the reiatsu chambers."

Ichigo began to panic a little. "But…but…no…I can't…"

Grimmjow saw the panic settle into his eyes, and he pulled him against him tightly, wrapping both arms around his waist. "Ichigo, please. I won't hurt you."

Ichigo's heart was beating out of his chest, and despite how panicked he was at the thought of having sex again, he felt himself growing increasingly aroused at the thought of Grimmjow's body against his own.

He nearly sobbed. "But I hurt still!" And that was true. The damage from the past two days had left its mark, and while the skin had mostly regenerated, he was incredibly sore and it hurt to even sit down properly. He couldn't imagine…

But Grimmjow was untying his obi already and Ichigo was frozen in fear of what was going to happen. He shivered as the cold air touched his legs once his hakama were discarded but Grimmjow pulled a cover over them and then pulled him against him. Ichigo realized he was naked as well, and he started to shake uncontrollably. It wasn't like he hadn't been with Grimmjow. But now all he could think of was the pain from both Abirama and Findorr. It had been worse than Nnoitra or Grimmjow by tons. And now he was scared of it again, the horrible sick feeling it had given him.

"No, please, it hurt me," he whimpered, and Grimmjow pulled him into a tighter embrace.

"Ichigo, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you like that again, okay?" he said and slowly began kissing his neck and the back of his shoulders. "Szayel gave me something that might help with everything inside feel better. He opted to not give it to you himself after what happened, but he gave it to me. Now, let me help heal you and make sure that those cubs are safe."

Grimmjow reached up and wiped tears from his face gently. He nodded slowly his acceptance and Grimmjow continued to kiss him gently, tongue flicking out now and then to lap at wounds that hadn't been healed all the way yet. He ran his hands down to Ichigo's stomach and lower to find that his mate was indeed aroused by his attentions. He smiled, and reached over beside the bed to grab a jar of salve that Szayel had given him. It served dual purposes.

"Ichigo," he whispered, his hands running down his back to rest on his hip. "I'm going to touch you now, okay?"

Ichigo shivered but nodded slightly. So Grimmjow pressed one finger slick with the salve against the entrance and felt him jump slightly and then worked it into him. He used his other hand to rub his back as he worked the substance into him, and he felt him sigh under him, knowing that the fast acting salve was helping. He wriggled another coated finger into him, and felt the sharp intake of breath, and he began kissing his neck again and whispering encouraging words. He brushed his fingers up to that pleasure point and felt him gasp for breath. Grimmjow smiled and forced in the third of his slicked fingers. Again he gasped, but Grimmjow brushed against the pleasure point before he could complain at the intrusion. He moaned out loud this time. Grimmjow smiled and continued his finger ministrations until he felt that Ichigo had relaxed enough from the salve. It offered pain relief as well as healing properties, and the obvious lubricating effects.

Grimmjow pulled his fingers out with a quick jerk, making Ichigo snap his head around to see what was happening. Grimmjow smiled and rolled onto his back, taking more of the salve and rubbing himself with it.

"Come on, you control it, Ichigo, you," he said gently, remembering Szayel's warning that he was going to be afraid of being held down or even have someone act like they were dominating him during sex.

He looked scared but finally climbed up onto Grimmjow's body, and let Grimmjow guide his member into the slicked entrance. He hissed, and nearly came off him, but then need overtook his fear and he slowly sank himself down on the thick girth. He sat there a while, not sure what to do until Grimmjow took his own arousal and began to stroke him up and down. He smiled, the hateful feral look gone from his face and then wiggled his hips a bit. Ichigo groaned as his cock hit that spot that made the world full of silent fire.

Before long, he was leaning over him, arms entangled in the blue haired arrancar's neck and head, while he thrust underneath him, and Ichigo met each one. Soon he had the orange headed shinigami moaning with every moment, and soon he shot his head up.

"I'm…oh, god…Grimm," he moaned and his voice nearly sent Grimmjow over the edge, but he was carefully gathering reiatsu, and preparing to release it when he finally did climax. Finally, Grimmjow gave his cock an over under flick on the head and a particularly hard thrust into his prostate, and Ichigo was moaning out incoherent words that may have been Grimmjow's name somewhere in there. Grimmjow gripped him close and thrust in a final time in the passage that was clamping down on his throbbing cock and released his reiatsu deep inside him. The reiatsu flared around them, encompassing them both in bright blue fire for a moment, and then Grimmjow felt a wave of exhaustion, like his energy had been sucked into the shinigami's spasming orifice.

He reached up and petted the orangette's head, smiling as he had passed out already on top of him, his own flaccid member still buried inside him. He slipped out and curled around him, pulling him closer to him than ever before.

"Fuck, Ichi, I don't know if arrancars can love, but this sure as fuck feels like it."


	13. Healing Touches

Grimmjow woke up relatively early. He looked down and stared at the beta curled around him in sleep. It was a deep sleep, and when his hand hovered over him he felt the reiatsu chambers underneath. He felt the one that matched his own reiatsu signature and was relieved to feel it stronger now. But the other three weren't faring so well. And neither was his beta. He felt the drain on him, though less now. And frowned. If only it were as easy as letting one of the chambers die off, but Grimmjow knew it wouldn't happen. Especially not with a beta like Ichigo. He sighed, covering him up and slipped out of bed, pulling on his hakama and heading into the common room.

He was met with several sets of eyes, his fellow "mates", along with their various fraccion. Tesla had come with Nnoitra and was busy in the kitchen. Lillynette was fussing at Stark who lazed on one of the smaller couches. Ulquiorra sat impassively reading a book.

"How is he?" Stark said looking with one eye open.

Grimmjow sighed. "Szayel is right, if we use our reiatsu it helps the chamber stabilize, but the drain is immense, I've never seen anything like it. The one that matches my signature is fine for now, but the other three are starting to feel unstable, and tha means more sucked outta him."

There was a knock at the door. Nnoitra stood and opened it, glaring at the arrancar in front of him. "Aizen-sama has called a meeting…he sent me to get you." The door was slammed just as quickly as Nnoitra turned back to him.

"Like hell we're leavin' him here," he muttered.

Lillynette sighed. "He's fine, sleeping, he can't get into trouble, with me and Tesla here."

"That's what we thought the last two days. And look what happened," Ulquiorra said, looking around.

"It is pretty ridiculous, ya know, four of us, and he still gets fucked up by Barragan's fraccion, not fuckin' once but fuckin' twice," Nnoitra said frowning.

Grimmjow arched a brow. "Then we take him."

The other occupants stared. "But Aizen-sama was adamant he not be present," Ulquirro said softly.

"Fuck 'im," Nnoitra replied. "Fuck that shinigami bastard gonna do 'gainst all four a'us?"

There was a long, thoughtful silence. Stark stood up, shaking his head and went into the room with Ichigo, and emerged after a few moments, the orange haired shinigami still sleeping, Stark holding him up bridal style against his chest. The other espada looked at each other and then nodded. If the primera had decided, then Aizen would have to deal with the primera.

"Did ya try and wake 'im?" Nnoitra asked, walking over and brushing the hair out of his eyes, seeing he was wrapped in a blanket. He was bare chested, but Nnoitra could see the hem of his hakama from beneath the edge of his blanket.

Stark nodded. "Yeah, dressed him, and everything, and nothing. The power drain is immense. I don't think we could force him into consciousness right now. After the meeting we'll have to do something about it."

With that, the four espada left and sonidoed into the meeting room. Stark sat down in his usual place and Aizen fixed him with a look. Stark yawned, and adjusted his bundle, his arm going numb.

"Lazy-ass, give 'im here," Nnoitra muttered grabbing the bundle that sighed as he hefted him against his chest. He sat down, leaning back and pulling him up against him, resting his head in his shoulder, and draping his legs over his lap.

"I thought I told you he wasn't to be in the meeting," Aizen said eyeing the four espada. They were still waiting for the rest.

Grimmjow snorted. "If it weren't for Barragan's fuckin' fraccion, we wouldn't have to bring 'im. Sure as hell not leaving him by 'imself or with fraccion from now on, so get used to it."

Halibel entered then and stopped to look down on him. "Is he well?" she asked, frowning at his unconscious state.

Szayel came in just then. "Not really, but we'll get to that as I'm sure Aizen-sama is curious as to the status of our shinigami beta. It is best you brought him, Nnoitra. I don't think he'd survive another incident like yesterday."

Before long, the others had joined them, Grimmjow and Nnoitra glowering at Barragan as he sat down. To his creidit he didn't let a single emotion flitter across his face. But he did stare at the bundle. Yammy was last, looking at Nnoitra.

"The fuck? Why's the shinigami here?" he said frowning.

Aizen sighed. "Please, let's get on with this before said shinigami wakes up. Szayel, what is the status?"

Szayel sighed. "As you can tell, he's weakened a lot more than he was. If he maintains consciousness for more than an hour at a time, I will be surprised."

There was a sharp bark of laughter and Szayel looked up to Zommari. "This is the beta you fucks chose? That's pretty fuckin' weak."

Grimmjow growled but Szayel snorting cut him off. "Shows what you know, Zommari. He's carrying four chambers."

There was a hush at the words. "That's impossible," Halibel said softly. "Not even a vasto lorde can carry four."

Szayel shrugged, standing up to move over toward Nnoitra who stiffened as Szayel pulled the cover down from his face. His eyes were sunken and dark, and there was a white mask slowly forming around his left eye. It was only just around it, barely touching his nose, but it was there.

"He is a vasto lorde," Szayel said, looking up.

The silence was palatable. Aizen broke it. "You mean the hollow inside the shinigami is of vasto lorde class?"

Szayel nodded. "I had my doubts, but after the scans I took yesterday, and the fact that he managed to avoid having the reiatsu chambers obliterated after two attacks, there is no doubt. As he gets closer to the emergence of the cubs, he'll start taking on more and more of the aspects of his vasto lorde hollow, as a way to try and protect himself. But, that can't happen if he doesn't get his alphas help with the reiatsu drain. Or he'll die within the next week or so."

He pulled down the covers, revealing the boy's rising and falling chest, and noted he was so out of it, even the rush of cold air didn't wake him. He hovered his hand over his midsection and a flare of black reiatsu flashed outward, lashing at his hand. He would have been bleeding if not for his hierro.

"Grimmjow's has strengthened," he muttered, "But the other three are draining him quickly. Another few hours and he's going to be impossible to wake again. Whatever Grimmjow did, I suggest you other three repeat it as soon as possible," he said, looking at each of the other three in turn.

Nnoitra nodded, and yanked the cover back over him, and he turned and burrowed into Nnoitra's shoulder. Nnoitra couldn't help the smile that split his face as the feeling.

"All right, well, I suppose I'll allow him to come with you. I want to see what he produces. As far as other business…." Aizen seemed to drone on forever, but Nnoitra was lost to it. The sensation of Ichigo resting against him, his breath warm on his neck, it was hard for him not to flip him over the meeting table and take him right there as he slept. He swallowed, knowing that that wouldn't work. He wanted him to respond, and he'd never forgive him for taking advantage of him.

Finally, when they were dismissed, Nnoitra was looking up at Grimmjow. "I'll carry him back," he said softly. "Yer arms are probably numb from sittin' like that so long. Don't want yer dumb ass ta drop 'im."

Nnoitra rolled his eye but let the blue haired cat take him. He couldn't hold him all the time, he supposed. But as he stood, an emptiness descended on him. What the hell was wrong with him? He was the fuckin' espada of despair, Ulquiorra was the fuckin' espada of emptiness, so why the fuck was he empty? Suddenly he wanted to fill that emptiness, and for once in his existence, he didn't want to consume souls to fill it. It was deep ache, and he wanted nothing more but to take that beta and complete himself. The fuck…he thought to himself as he meandered down the corridors to the room they were sharing temporarily.

He entered to find they had put the shinigami on the couch, his face relaxed in sleep, but the mask fragment was a little larger around his left eye. Ulquiorra sat by his head, reading his book still and stroking his hair. Grimmjow came back, hair wet from the shower. He looked around and then there was a knock at the door. Grimmjow opened it and saw Szayel standing there.

"So what did ya do?" he asked Grimmjow.

Grimmjow shrugged. "What you said to do. Fucked last night, filled him full of reiatsu and the chamber was stronger this morning."

Szayel nodded, going over to kneel by the shinigami. His hands hovered over him briefly and he nodded. "The infusion helped, but the rest of you are going to have to do the same, and pretty quickly. Ulquiorra, your chamber is deteriorating the fastest, being the first to exist, but the others aren't far behind. If you don't give him your own reiatsu to bolster it, the drain is going to set him into a coma soon."

Ulqiorra nodded, but glanced down. "How are we supposed to wake him?"

Szayel sighed. "I swear, you should just fuck him now while he's out so you don't have to deal with his emotional baggage. But something tells me you won't do that. So here," he said, leaning down and injecting something quickly into his arm. "That should bring him around for a while, but it won't last long."

Grimmjow nodded. "I'm gonna talk to Aizen about lettin' his family come to see 'im."

He headed out and they waited for him to come around. Finally, Ichigo's eyes opened and he found himself staring into an ocean of green. He smiled, and reached up to touch Ulquiorra's face. He glanced down as he felt hands on his waist, and felt someone sit beside him. He glanced down to see Nnoitra untying his obi. He jerked, gasping, fear flickering across his face.

"No, shh," Nnoitra said as he pulled the sash away. "You're in trouble, Ichi, and we're gonna have to help you."

"But…I can't…please…" he whined but felt Ulquiorra's strong fingers on his chin.

"I'm afraid we won't let you give up your life no matter what you feel. So we will do everything to ensure that doesn't happen. We'll be careful, and we'll be gentle, but we really need you to let us do this," he said gently, tracing fingers across his face.

Stark kneeled beside his head now. "Ichigo, come," he said, and pulled him up into his arms and swept him into one of the rooms, which didn't matter. Nnoitra and Ulquiorra followed behind, shedding their own clothes as they went. The door shut with a bang and Ichigo was on the bed, staring up at the brunette's eyes. He smiled lazily and stood up to disrobe. Ichigo felt his heart in his throat, memories still haunting him even after Grimmjow had shown such tenderness the previous night. Surprisingly, he felt no soreness or anything today. He briefly thanked Szayel for whatever was in that salve.

"I'm too tired," he moaned as his hakama slipped off his body in a swift movement. "I want to sleep…"

"You can sleep after this, Ichi, I promise ya that," Nnoitra said, gripping his chin and exploring his mouth with that sinfully long tongue.

Stark was kissing long slow kisses on his chest and belly, and Ulquiorra was teasing his awakening arousal. Ichigo gasped as those fingers slithered up and down his length with practiced ease. Nnoitra pulled off his lips with a pop and pulled Ulquiorra to change positions with him. Ulquiorra proceeded to fill open mouth with hungry kisses that left him breathless, but then Nnoitra was on him, sucking him into his mouth and causing a long, throaty moan to escape his lips as his back arched off the bed.

Then he felt Nnoitra's long, thin fingers around his entrance and he jerked against the bodies above him, but he was held down, gently though, as he moved off him with a popping sound. Then he felt that horribly skillful tongue lapping at his perineum, and then slipping inside him. He gasped at the strange feeling, his hips bucking up into Stark above him, who smiled against his nipple. He was about to shoot off right then, if Stark hadn't reached down to grip him at the base, as his body shook in a dry orgasm. It seemed to not take long, but then the tongue was removed and replaced by a slicked finger. It was cool, but tingled, so he knew it must be the same thing from the day before. He sighed into another kiss with Ulquiorra, as a second finger joined the first. Then they began to play, pulling apart and making room for the third one. He gasped at the jolt of pain but sighed as those fingers gently massaged his walls, then nearly screamed as they brushed against that spot full of nerves.

Ulquiorra busied his mouth, and Stark the rest of his body, as Nnoitra grasped his hips and positioned himself under him, and the slid inside in a quick motion. To his surprise, he was as tight as the first time he'd taken him. He wondered if it was the salve or the regenerative nature of his hollow. He ground into him, causing a squeak to emerge as he began driving into his prostate with each thrust, his long length easily finding the spot. Stark looked down as the boy writhed under him, and he released his hold on the base, and just then, Nnoitra snapped his hips in a particularly hard thrust, slamming deeply into the pleasure spot, sending Ichigo over the edge, back arching and screaming out in pleasure. Though he tried to hold on, Nnoitra felt himself going over as well, and concentrated on the reiatsu, flooding the golden light into and around them both.

Ichigo gasped at the feeling and when it had all dissipated, Nnoitra sat back on his heels, pulling slowly out of him. "He's taken two before," he said, grinning at Stark and Ulquiorra.

The two espada glanced at each other, ignoring the stammering beta below them. Stark lifted him easily into his lap and before he could complain, Ichigo was slammed down onto the man's thick cock, filling him completely. He moaned bonelessly falling forward into Ulquiorra's arms, panting as his own arousal was well on its way to awakening a second time. In a second though, Ulquiorra had slipped his legs under him, and Ichigo found himself seated firmly and fully with Stark inside him, and his legs up and draped over Ulquiorra's own legs as he lifted him slightly, his finger prodding the full already entrance.

He glanced over at Nnoitra who was staring with a positively lecherous grin. "Me and Grimmjow. Give him some more of that salve on ya cock, and it will slide in so nicely."

Ichigo had a panicked second as he clutched onto Ulquiorra's shoulders, shaking his head for a second, but before any words could come out, the blunt tip pressed against him and Stark's, making the primera moan with the pressure. With a snap of his hips, the petite espada buried himself in the incredibly tight space, stopping to wonder at how in the world he had fit inside there when it was already so full.

Ichigo had stopped breathing as the pain lanced through him of being streached beyond capacity, just like the first time this had happened. Imagining what it looked like to have both of them buried all the way in him, it made him harder than he had been before. Ulquiorra was kissing his face, slow chaste kisses with a flick of his tongue now and then, and Stark was lavishing his back with similar kisses, and rubbing small circles on his shoulders. They remained that way, still and smothering with kisses until his hips bucked under them. Both took it as a sign that it was okay to move.

It took a moment but they soon found a steady and satisfying rhythm between them. Similar to the rhythm that Nnoitra and Grimmjow had done, with one pressing forward as the other pulled back. Before long, they had the orange headed shinigami moaning loudly as they both abused that sweet bundle of nerves that sent shudders through him one after another. He tangled his hands in his own hair, moaning louadly, arms above his head and rocking back and forth to garner even more friction on his own arousal. Nnoitra couldn't take it anymore and found himself snaking a hand between him and Ulquiorra, pumping the orangette and using his fingers to trace every inch of him. Ichigo's voice found a new heighth of sounds as he felt like he might literally explode from the sensations. Back and forth he rocked, slamming into the men below him who had still in their own thrusting to allow him to do as he wanted, then slamming forward into Nnoitra's waiting hand.

"Fuck this minx loves to bounce on cock," Stark muttered, watching as Ichigo pounded himself with the same force as he had before with him.

Nnoitra looked up at the exquisite face the lusty shinigami was making, eyes closed, hands clutching at his own hair, and biting down on his lip enough that it was bleeding. His body was covered in sweat and Nnoitra could feel him coming up on his own release. He smiled and reached a hand down to his own throbbing problem, and began to jerk himself a little. Then he got an idea and kneeled beside them, grabbing Ichigo and himself in the same hand. Ichigo's eyes widened, and he looked down to see what the quinta was doing. And the sound he made then made almost all three of his lovers come to completion.

He threw back is head and moaned low in his throat, a thick sultry sound, as Nnoitra's hands flicked back and forth in increasingly rapid fashion. Soon, he found himself exploding all over Ulquiorra's belly and Nnoitra's hand, but almost instantly Nnoitra followed, covering Ichigo's quivering arousal. The incredible clamping sensation sent both Ulquiorra and Stark over with strangled cries from both of them, a thick gout of reiatsu, green and blue, came rushing out and mingled somewhat before being absorbed into the quivering body between them. He fell back against Stark's chest, gasping and eyes already falling closed.

"So sleepy," Ichigo said softly.

"Yeah, you need to sleep now," Stark whispered, pulling out of him slowly, followed by Ulquiorra.

Nnoitra smiled and lifted him up. "First, ya need a wash, ya look a mess."

Ulquiorra had already run a bath while Nnoitra had gathered him up. "But I'm too tired," he said.

Stark brushed sweaty orange hair from his forehead. "We'll handle it, Ichi."

He was lowered into lusciously warm water, scented with lavender oil. Before he knew it, six hands were scrubbing every inch of him. Nnoitra's long fingers massaged his scalp, and Stark wiped away the sweat and mess from his body. He jerked when he felt Ulquiorra venturing to clean him out below, but he calmed to the soothing ministrations, very gentle and completely non sexual, which considering what he was doing was strange. Soon he was lifted up and towels drying him gently and then he was swept, already dozing off in the strong arms that held him. Moments later, though all were still nude, he was wrapped up in warm skin and blankets. He nuzzeled into a chest and sighed, and realized he felt better than he had in a long time, warmth flooding him from inside and outside.

_Good, king, good job, now ya gotta rest, I'll help out as much as I can now._


	14. Unexpected Visitors

Urahara was going over the interviews with Inoue and Chad for the millionth time it seemed like. He couldn't find any indication that they were hypnotized by Aizen, and they seemed to really believe what they were saying. He took off the striped hat and ran his hand through messy blond locks. Ishida, Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo were still unaccounted for, though he could register the first three on scans of Heuco Mundo. He found no sign of Ichigo's reiatsu. He wanted to believe Inoue and Chad, he really did, but he had no proof that Ichigo was actually alive. What if it was all some elaborate plan where Aizen was tricking them into believing he was alive?

His head shot up as he sensed an espada's presence. He took off and flashed outside to look up and see the blue haired Grimmjow sauntering to him. He flicked a finger from his brow.

"Yo," he said with a smirk. He was alone.

Urahara tensed, gripping the cane enough to white knuckle it, but that was the only sign of his nervousness. "Why are you here?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "I managed to get a deal with Aizen for Ichi. He gets ta have a couple visitors, provided they leave zanpakuto behind. Then, if ya cooperate, ya get to bring someone back with ya."

Urahara looked at him warily. "Why would you let one of your prisoners go so easily?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Look, if ya don't want the fuckin' deal, don't take it and wonder if the damned shinigami is alive or dead."

Urahara nodded, "Wait here, I'll summon Ichigo's father."

Grimmjow sighed and stared into the sky, and felt the presence of several shinigami appear. He looked up to see a white captain's cloak on a white haired kid, a large breasted woman with a pink scarf, and a dark haired man in a captain's cloak with funny things in his hair. He waved at them nonchalantly, waiting for the strange man to return. He came back, another shinigami trailing him, this one with the white captain's cloak bunched over his shoulder. He was tall with dark hair and stubble on his chin. Beside him a woman in purple and orange walked.

"Aigh, leave yer Zanpakutos, I'll bring ya back, a deal's a deal. Even to a fucker like Aizen," he said, flicking a finger to open the inky black of the garganta.

Isshin handed Engetsu to Urahara with a nod, and Yourichi followed. "You aren't going alone, Kurosaki Isshin," the stoic Byukuya said, handing Senbozakura to Toshiro.

"You can't be serious, Kuchiki-taichou?" Matsumoto gasped.

"I am more than capable with kido alone if something should go amiss. And I wish to find out if my sister is safe as well."

No more arguments were given as the captain and the two ex captains stepped into the familiar blackness of the garganta. Soon enough they emerged into an entirely white world. They were in some sort of apartment, couches and chairs in the middle, a kitchen to the side.

"Nii-sama?" came a call from the other side and Rukia rushed out. "Nii-sama! Why are you here? Did they…" she asked urgently.

Byukuya shook his head. "I have come of my own accord, in hopes this is not a trap set by Aizen."

Grimmjow grunted. "Hey, if I fuckin' wanted ta kill yer prissy ass I woulda done it in the in between."

Ishida and Renji emerged from their rooms, hearing voices.

"Kuchiki-taichou!" Renji exclaimed, rushing out to see his captain standing there with Yourichi and a strange man with a captain's haori.

Byukuya nodded. "I'm glad to see that you and Rukia are both in good health. And the Quincy as well."

Rukia eyed Isshin, suddenly realizing who was standing there. "Isshin?" she gasped.

Renji then turned to look at the man's face.

"You're a captain?" he gaped.

Yourichi snorted. "I take it you're both familiar with Ichigo's father, though not in soul form. I might present Isshin Shiba, former captain of the 10th division."

Rukia blinked. "Shiba? You mean Ichigo…is a Shiba?"

Isshin turned and stared at Grimmjow. "Where is my son or is this all a ruse, espada?"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "I'll bring him in. I assume you'd rather not be in the middle of the room he's currently staying in with us and our fraccion." He walked to the door, opening it with a snap, leaving his visitors with his prisoners.

"Ichigo doesn't stay here?" Yourichi asked, looking around.

Rukia swallowed. "No, he stays with them. Sometimes they let him come see us, but the last two days when we asked, we've been told he's sleeping."

The door opened. "Ah, Grimm, please, I wanna sleep, I was all warm with Ulkea wrapped around me. Why ya wakin' me up?" came Ichigo's voice as he walked slowly into the room rubbing his eyes. He was dressed in a white robe, his hair longer and disheveled and blinking sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and then blinked, seeing three new figures. His hollow mask was partially formed around his left eye, extending a little up onto his forehead now, and just below the cheekbone, and his tone of skin had gone a shade or two paler.

"Fuckin' hell, Ichi, I told ya you had visitors," Grimmjow muttered, rolling his eyes.

Ichigo blinked again. He saw Yourichi, Byukuya…and his dad? Dressed as a shinigami?

"Goat-face?" he said softly. "You're a shinigami? What the hell!" he exclaimed, putting both hands on his hips and scowling his hardest at the man in front of him. "After all the hell I went through and you knew about it?"

Isshin frowned then got a goofy grin on his face and launched himself at his son. "My precious son!" he called, talking him to the ground easily, Ichigo letting out an off. Isshin looked at him. "You didn't dodge, my son!"

"Of course I can't dodge, idiot!" he said and shoved the larger man off his seated form, standing up slowly. "I can't do much of anything right now except sleep."

Grimmjow had managed to not pounce the older shinigami, knowing that it was Ichigo's father. But still, he was sorely tempted to open the garganta and toss the man back in. However, seeing Ichigo's face light up with the fire it had been missing since the last incident was wonderful to him, and he found himself giving a half grin to Ichigo as he yelled at his dad for being an idiot and other things. Isshin tried to hug him and got a fist in his face for the effort.

Then Ichigo frowned and looked around at them all. "Why the hell did you idiots come here? Why would you trust him? Seriously, that was just stupid!"

Isshin sighed and laughed. "We haven't been able to find your reiatsu, and we weren't sure if you were alive here or not, but now I can sense why, it is nearly nonexistent…."

"Stupid little parasites are sucking me dry," he muttered, rolling his eyes slightly. "I can't even get up without help, and Zangetsu hasn't manifested since…this started," he said, stammering a bit.

Isshin reached forward and placed a hand on his son's abdomen and gasped. He looked up at Ichigo and a foolish grin spread across his face. "I'm going to be a grandfather after all! I'd never have believed it!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Yourichi and Byukuya came up. Yourichi pulled out an instrument, and a growl issued from Grimmjow beside here.

"Hey, easy, it's just a measuring device from Urahara," she said, showing the glowering espada the device. He nodded uneasily.

She ran the device over him from head to foot and then put it back. The readings would be for Kisuke to interpret, after all. She stared at her former student. His scowl came and went, and there was a softness to his fine features, as though his already delicate features had become even more feminine. It wasn't a huge change, but it was there.

Byukuya also placed a hand on him, making him flinch at the strange touch. "You have four additional reiatsu signatures. Isn't that a lot at one time?"

Grimmjow snorted. "It's impossible, is what it is. No one has ever had this happen to them that we know of. Usually two is normal, three is really rare, but four…four is unheard of and deadly. One body simply can't take the drain on the spirit supporting four life forms causes."

Isshin looked at his son with worry. "Son, is that true?"

Ichigo nodded. "But Szayel figured out that if they help me, I might be able to make it through this in one piece. Or I guess five, in all," he said, glancing nervously about.

Byukuya stared. "If it is life threatening, why do you not simply remove the reiatsu chambers from him?" he asked looking at Grimmjow.

Ichigo gaped but Grimmjow shook his head. "They are integrated with his reiatsu so it is an all or none deal. But Aizen has decided if he doesn't produce, he'll be executed. He will serve some purpose or die," Grimmjow said, trying not to let the anger at the idea make his voice shake.

Ichigo frowned. "What the hell is it with everyone! Why does everyone thing I should just destroy them? Seriously, they haven't done anything wrong, and if I can't protect anyone else, I'm damned sure going to protect them! I'm so tired of everyone going on about this!"

"Ah shit," Grimmjow muttered as Ichigo's reiatsu began to flare around him.

The door opened and Ulquiorra and Nnoitra stood there blinking. "Man, right now?" Nnoitra groaned.

The reiatsu began to build, the hollow mask quickly forming as his anger grew, but this was an anger driven by the hollow, not entirely by Ichigo. The hollow was lashing out in the protection of the cubs that were forming. The watery distorted voice cracked through the masked lips.

"I'm so tired of you fucks! Ichigo is fuckin' doing what he needs to and ya won't let him fuckin' have any peace! I should fuckin' kill all of you and then not worry! First the midget bitch and now the rest of you!" he said, his hands starting to turn clawed.

Grimmjow skated around to one side, Ulquiorra to the other, and Nnoitra went behind him, grabbing both sides of his head. They glanced at each other and at the same time exerted their control.

"Stop. Ichigo. Sleep."

Ichigo's body shook and he looked like he was fighting it but Nnoitra kept his hands on the sides of his head as the mask began to evaporate, leaving a half mask over his face now, and his hands returned to normal. The reiatsu began to thrash against the three alphas, leaving cuts on Grimmjow and Ulquiorra which healed a little, until he gasped and dropped. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow grabbed under his arms as Nnoitra kept his head still, letting him fall back into his lap. He gathered him up in his long limbs and pulled him up to him.

There were exchanged looks as Ichigo seemed to have passed out. Nnoitra pulled his head into his shoulder and pulled his legs over and seated him in between his own as he sat cross legged.

"Dammit, this shit gets harder every fuckin' time!" Grimmjow sighed.

"What happened?" Isshin asked, looking at the three.

"Ichigo's hollow doesn't take too well to stress right now. Call it mother instinct. When he gets pissed, his hollow starts to lash out at any and every one. Last two or three days it's been getting harder to deal with him. That vasto lorde is fuckin' strong when he wants to be," Grimmjow said, sighing. "Considering every time we bring him in here with the midget he gets pissed, we've been avoiding it."

Grimmjow looked down and nodded to Nnoitra. "Wake 'im up. I can't keep his friends here for much longer or Aizen will sense it through the barrier primera is sealing."

Yourichi blinked. "What? Aizen doesn't know we're here?"

Ulquiorra looked up with impassive gree eyes. "Aizen-sama would doubtless want you dead. We brought you here to ease his stress."

The door opened again and a tall brunette with messy hair entered, yawning. "Only have a little more time," he said softly, glancing down at the bundle in Nnoitra's lap. "Again?" He received a nod from the others. "Gotta stop pissin' him off," he said, yawning again.

"Wake up, Ichigo," Nnoitra said, running a hand through the soft locks. "Wake up," he repeated, a thrum that the others in the room could physically feel working through the room. He frowned.

"Stark, you'll have to do it, he's pissed at us," Nnoitra said snorting.

"Fuck, man, he's so pissy!" Grimmjow grumbled, turning his back on them.

Stark kneeled down and lifted his head up and said in a soft voice, "Wake up, now, Ichigo." It was a command, and even Byukuya could feel the command in it that would bring even the strongest to do as he was told.

Ichigo's eyes fluttered and he was staring up at Stark. "Hrm, puppy, what is it?"

"You really have to stop flying off the handle," he said, still holding his face.

Ichigo scowled. "I don't like being told what to do."

Nnoitra shifted his hips and lightly smacked his thigh. "Fuckin' quit flipping out and we won't use it, Ichi," he said. Ichigo turned and gave him a death stare.

"Not like I can help it!" he said, crossing his arms.

Stark sighed. "Do you want to finish your visit or go back to sleep, Ichi?"

"I'll finish visiting," he said softly. Stark let go and leaned up, but Ichigo made no move to get out of Nnoitra's lap, instead leaning back into him.

Stark nodded and left the room, probably for some more sleep. Ulquiorra shook his head and took his leave, leaving Grimmjow standing beside Nnoitra, looking down.

Ichigo smiled up at his dad. "Look, I know you're worried, but it's okay. I know that this isn't normal, between me being forced into it and then being male to start with, but I have to finish this. It isn't their fault, and I don't want to see their souls destroyed. Just tell Karin and Yuzu that I'm off at a camp or something, I don't know. I got three months until they're here, and I have good protectors."

"Ichigo, we could take care of you in soul society," Byukuya said.

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I can't leave them, I need them or the cubs will die, or I will, or both. But they're protecting me."

Isshin kneeled down in front of him, touching his son's face. "Are you sure, son? Are you sure you don't want us to find a way to get you out of here?"

Ichigo smiled, "I'm fine. And maybe when the cubs are born, Aizen will let the others go, you know, and then that's fine. I…I can't leave them, though, so don't ask me to, if…if I get free…if we get free…I need them, and they need me. The cubs too."

Isshin hugged his son close, hiding the tears in his eyes as he heard the garganta open behind him. He let go and watched as Ichigo sunk back into the lanky espada behind him. Before he even was snuggled into his chest, he was asleep. He stood and followed Byukuya and Yourichi back, glancing back as it closed behind him.

They appeared above Urahara's show and proceeded to tell him the tale and hand over both the recording device and the readings that Yourichi had taken. When he was done looking at it all, he returned to the tea room where Isshin, Yourichi, Byukuya, Toshiro and Matsumoto were seated.

"It is true, every word from what I can tell. Somehow, his inner hollow is syphoning his energy and feeding it to the four chambers that have formed. Each of the four has a different reiatsu signature, meaning he's with child from four different fathers…"

There was a long moment that stretched on forever, it seemed. No one said anything. No one wanted to. No one dared to.


	15. Learning to Fly Again

Isshin sat in his kitchen, having returned home. He'd give the girls a story that Ichigo had gone to a camp but he wasn't sure that he should lie to them right now. He sat thoughtfully, thinking about his discussion with his previous team members and smiled. Toshiro had become quite a man. And it was always good to see things like Matsumuto didn't change too awful much. It wasn't how he imagine returning to his shinigami life. But what else could he do? He'd stood by as his son was steadily pulled into that world, and now he was dealing with something that no human, or shinigami, was supposed to deal with. But then, the hollow and his Quincy blood had ensured that he'd have no normal life. Isshin had hoped, of course. But it was folly.

He ran a hand through his hair, thinking of his son when he looked up, a familiar presence filling the room. He smiled.

"Urahara," he said as the blonde sauntered in and sat at the table.

He nodded. "Yourichi gave me her opinion on things and I wanted your opinion. Byukuya gave the expected opinion, that we needed to launch a rescue mission as soon as we could. Yourichi disagreed, thinking it would put Ichigo in danger."

Isshin sighed, smiling softly. "I think he's almost happy with them, is that strange? Just the small overheard interactions make me wonder what he really feels. The only malice we felt was when Byukuya suggested that his condition be fixed. I think he, or the hollow, or hell both of them, are scared of Soul Society and what would become of him there. And I can't blame him, Kisuke."

Urahara nodded. "Soul Society isn't often welcoming to those that are different and might be a danger." His mind spiraled to his friends that became the vizard and to the mod souls. Both were a product of Soul Society, yet both were sought out to be destroyed. Would Ichigo fall into that category? So feared, that he had to die?

"What do we do, then? What I saw, with those espada, that wasn't what we've seen before. Even the blue haired one that came and got us, his entire demeanor changed around Ichigo. My son is a good soul, Kisuke, he's so much like his mother. Do you think…do you really thing it may be possible for him to change something as heartless as a hollow?" Isshin said, a deep crease furrowing his brow.

Urahara snorted. "If anyone could change someone, it would be Ichigo. He lives every day with that hollow of his nagging at his senses, many others would have given in, but he hasn't, he won't. And now, it seems, he's been through something so terrible that many give up on life, but instead he's latched onto the one thing he can control, the one thing he can still protect."

Isshin smiled. "How did soul society take the news?" he asked, glancing up.

Urahara flipped a fan up in front of his face. Isshin eyed him, knowing that reaction. "Oh, well, better than expected."

"Urahara-san…" Isshin said, glaring at him.

Urahara tried to wave him away with the fan but saw that he was having none of it. "Oh, well the extraction idea was presented, of course, and the termination of the ah 'mockery of a pregnancy' as it was called by someone I won't name, for their own safety. And just the general shock that Ichigo could carry four of them."

Isshin's eyes narrowed at his friend. "And?"

"Oh nothing, just my old subordinate, you know how Kurotsuchi can be," he said, biting on his lip behind his fan.

"What…did he say…about my…son?" Isshin's voice had an edge to it.

Urahara cleared his throat. "And this is why I didn't want to talk about it. I don't want you trying to run off to Soul Society to defend your son's honor, I think he can do it very well on his own, if not for being drained of all his reiatsu at the moment."

"That bastard said something about my son's honor?" he asked, and Urahara inwardly groaned. Damn, he was getting old. Or tired. Or possibly, and it was a great possibility, both.

"It was just in passing and the old man put him in his place, Isshin, just please just drop the issue before you make yourself angry," he said, but he saw the look in his eye. There was no getting around it and trying to put things delicate was only going to further anger Isshin. There was no doubt where Ichigo received his barely restrained rage. "He commented on the fact that the cubs were from four different espada, that's all."

"He called my son a whore?" he stated calmly, way too calmly.

"I explained to the old man what had been said, and that it wasn't exactly his idea, but Mayuri was stuck on the fact that he had some control over the cubs he carried, and felt that he must have desired the outcome. I posited the fact that Ichigo wouldn't let them die if he could help it, even if it meant accepting his fate," Urahara rushed through it hoping that Isshin wouldn't do anything rash.

Isshin was doing fairly well with the situation. Considering. Oh, hell there was a lot of damn considering at the moment. And he thought it was a very good thing that he was in the world of the living at the moment because more than a few shinigami would have missing heads if he had been around to hear those discussions about his son. He looked up as Urahara cleared his throat.

"I left off something, though, but I'm sure they'll pick up on it from the data I recorded. And it will make things worse with soul society," he said carefully.

Isshin frowned and eyed the coy shopkeeper. "What do you mean?"  
"Ichigo said the espada were 'helping' him with the reiatsu. That means they're supplementing his own reiatsu with theirs."

Isshin looked at him, waiting.

Urahara hated when he had to spell things out for some people. But Isshin wasn't always the quickest on the uptake. "To do that, he has to maintain…ah…relations."

Isshin blinked. "What?"

"You know relations? Because the only way to access the reiatsu chambers with a close enough proximity and enough power is through a release…" he said, waving the fan in front of him as he spoke.

Isshin blinked again and then took a breath. "Oh."

"Yes, and now you see why he wanted to stay close to them. He's become dependent on them for not only ensuring his own safety, but the safety of the cubs. And from what Inoue-san and Sado-san had to say about the two times Ichigo was attacked by other arrancar, these alphas retaliated in spades. So there may indeed be more than seems. I cannot imagine them risking their lives or position to retaliate against someone that hurt him, or go through the risk to take you to him. It makes no sense," he said softly.

Isshin nodded. "So I wonder if they love him, after their own fashion? If anyone could convert a hollow to love, it would be my son. And it would make me proud."

"Even though the things Mayuri said will become commonplace when the truth of his situation is revealed?" Urahara said softly. "And if he doesn't want to give up the espada so easily? Soul Society will want them dead."

Isshin nodded. "I don't know about you, but Soul Society can take a flying leap. And if anyone ever says something to my face about my son, I will kill them, consequences be damned."

Urahara smiled behind his fan, because he had expect no less from a man who abandoned his nobility, his position, and everything he had, for loving one of the ones Soul Society wanted to destroy.

-Las Noches—

"Ichigo, wake up, baka," a voice said outside his dreamscape.

He grumbled, pulling an arm around him. "Five more minutes."

"Wake up, Szayel's here and wants to try something on ya," Nnoitra's voice pierced his sleep veiled mind. He opened his eyes and blinked, a sudden fear shooting thorugh him.

"He's not going to experiment on me!" he exclaimed, curling against the body behind him.

An annoyed huff came from the doorway. "Well I am, but it is a good one though, to try and bolster your own reiatsu."

Ichigo sat up slowly, shoving off three arms before he could crawl out from under a leg. Good night, how many did he have in bed with him, he thought as he finally slipped to the floor. He turned to see a sleeping Stark, and a half asleep Nnoitra. He stretched and grabbed his robe over the shorts he'd made to sleep in out of a pair of ripped hakama. He stumbled slightly and caught himself on the table.

"I'm so tired of being tired!" he announced, stifling another yawn.

"Well, that's what I'm here about. I've been trying to come up with some kind of reiatsu bolstering substance that will help your depleted state. Nothing like normal, don't misunderstand me, but if it works you'll at least be able to function half the day, roughly, if my calculations are correct," Szayel said, reaching his slim hand out to guide Ichigo into the next room where he'd laid out some instruments on the table.

He sat him down and hooked up a couple monitors to him quickly. "I just want to make sure nothing untoward happens while I administer this."

Ichigo was getting nervous though and his black reiatsu began to get agitated and lick out around the mask on his face. It had remained a half mask for some reason, and he couldn't seem to pull it away. Considering he was still in control he wasn't really worried, not about that, but the color his skin was turning did make him worry some.

"Ichi…you okay?" he heard Ulquiorra's calm voice. He looked up, eyes sparking, and breath hitching.

"Oh, good. Can you calm him down, cuarta? I'm working on a way to supplement his reiatsu so he isn't asleep all the time, but he seems agitated."

Ichigo never liked being talked about like he wasn't in the room, but right now, he was trying to concentrate on no freaking out over what he didn't know. What if Szayel hurt the cubs? What if what he did damaged them, or worse killed them? What if…"

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a soft pair of lips pressing to his own. A subtle command was passed through the pressure in those lips, white and black, that send waves of calm over his entire being. For once, he was glad for the control the alphas could exert of him as he melted into a sweet, closed mouth kiss, leaning forward. Ulquiorra pulled back and put an arm around him.

Szayel sighed. "I'm not sure what you've done to these espada, Ichigo, but I'm glad Aizen-sama doesn't see it. He'd think they'd all gone soft."

Szayel turned on the machinery with a soft hum, and then took out a tray with several different droppers in small tubes. He looked up at the now extremely relaxed shinigami, and realized he was falling asleep again. He rolled his eyes. He supposed having the reiatsu continually sapped would do that to a person. He reached up and glanced at Ulquiorra who shook the boy back to wakefulness.

"Okay, Ichigo, this is the first one, the most mild form I've made," he said, holding a dropper up to his mouth.

Ichigo swallowed and glanced up at Ulquirra beside him. Then nodded, opening his mouth and letting Szayel drop whatever it was into his mouth. He nearly gagged as the substance slipped down his throat, thick and cold and slimy. He coughed for a minute, turning red in the face. He blinked and sat back. Szayel looked at him questioningly. Ichigo shrugged. Aside from the horrid taste, nothing seemed different.

Szayel made some notes and then grabbed another dropper. The same procedure was repeated several more times. Second time, Ichigo swore he saw two of everything for a few moments, the third time he thought he could see colors, the fourth he felt more tired than ever before, and finally, the last one made him feel less exhausted. Not a lot, just a little. Szayel hummed over his notes and nodded.

"Okay, I think I'm on the right track. Treating hollows is one thing, but treating you is quite another. Hopefully, I'll have something by this afternoon. And I do apologize for any…lingering…side effects," Szayel said with a lecherous grin.

Ichigo frowned and then turned to Ulquiorra. He felt a sudden flush climb up his body from toes to the top of his head and he looked down to see a tent suddenly pitched in his shorts. His eyes went wide and he looked up at Ulquiorra who was staring intently at his crotch.

"That bastard probably slipped something in there to make this happen!" he exclaimed, but he was panting and flushed and he wanted to do nothing more than ravage Ulquiorra's mouth with his own. So he decided to do just that.

In his surprise at the suddenly aggressive man, Ulquiorra nearly fell backward, feeling his mouth being pried at. He grabbed Ichigo so he didn't fall over, finding his height a distinct disadvantage at the moment. But there was something arousing to him about the sudden act of dominance his normally docile, blushing beta showed. Before he knew it, Ichigo had some sudden burst of strength and had pushed him flat onto the floor and was furiously tearing at his clothes.

Nnoitra poked his head out with a frown to see what the commotion was, and found Ichigo yanking Ulquiorra's obi off with his teeth. Okay, that wasn't something he'd ever seen before, he thought as he stepped out, only half dressed himself, his obi half tied at his waist. Ichigo looked up and leered at him. Nnoitra blinked. What the hell was going on now? Ulquiorra tilted his head to look back and as soon as he did Ichigo attacked his neck furiously, causing the small espada to gasp.

"The hell, Ulquiorra, what's wrong with him?" Nnoitra asked, dropping to his hands and knees and approaching the pair on the floor, noting the furious sucking sounds coming out of the beta.

"Szayel…may have…given him…something…" Ulquiorra gasped as Ichigo's hands found his throbbing arousal. "Was trying to solve his sleeping problem, oh!" he said as he looked down to see Ichigo with his nose buried in his raven curling hair at the base of his cock.

"Fuck, Szayel need to give him whatever it was every day," Nnoitra said, dropping his obi and crawling out of his own hakama, coming up behind the furiously sucking Ichigo.

Ulquiorra prided himself on control, but this was testing it. His tongue was everywhere, up, down, sliding underneath and back up to the slit, prodding it gently, then roughly. As he worked, Nnoitra ran hands down his back and feeling no resistance, gently tugged the obi from the shorts he was wearing. To his surprise he bucked his hips back at him, whining at him. He nearly came on the spot, but he managed to hold it. He yanked down the shorts to free his straining member and those soft, white globes that were nearly perfect, a few scars aside. He ran his hands over his rear, and he hummed deliciously on Ulquiorra in front of him. The green eyed espada groaned, and Nnoitra looked up surprised. That was a first. Well, today was full of firsts, now wasn't it?

Ichigo was so hot, all he wanted was to get rid of the heat inside him, and he wanted to have someone buried inside him to do it. He played with Ulquiorra, trying to wait until Nnoitra got the hint, and as the cold air hit him, he realized he indeed had gotten his not so subtle hint of what he wanted. Nnoitra stared at the sight, and pumped himself a couple times, spreading the luiquid there was seemingly copious amounts of across himself. He hadn't grabbed the salve.

"Ichi, you sure, I don't have the salve out here, I can get it…"

Ichigo came off Ulquiorra with a pop and glared at Nnoitra. "Fuck me, now, don't wait!"

"You got it, Ichi," he said, and took a hand slick with his own fluids and drove two fingers into him. He was already back on Ulquiorra, and moaning and rocking his hips against his hand, pushing deeper. He bit his lip, and brushed against that spot that would make him writhe even more, and it worked, after a few moments, he couldn't resist it, pulling his hand away and coming up behind him.

He hesitated. After what had been done, he was sure this was wrong, but when he pushed back, nearly impaling himself on Nnoitra's waiting arousal, he gave in, sliding into him and moaning at the sensation of being surrounding by the warmth and tightness. "Fuck, Ichi, yer always so fuckin' tight, that hollow of yers must like us…"

He leaned over, wrapping his arms around his back as he furiously bobbed down on the now not so quiet Ulquiorra. Nnoitra wrapped his hand around Ichigo's straining arousal and felt him stiffen under him, then begin to buck backward into him. Nnoitra groaned, not wanting to rush him, after all the first time was still burning in his memory, and he really didn't want to hurt him like that again. But his insistent hips wouldn't leave him alone, as he snapped his hips forward and into his sweet spot, making him moan around Ulquiorra and roll his hips in such a way that Nnoitra wasn't sure he could hold it anymore.

He set a pace, slow at first, but under Ichigo's insistence, it sped up, nearly becoming bruising in its frantic and needy nature. He matched it with his hands around Ichigo and then he heard Ulquiorra go off with a half moan as he grabbed Ichigo's head and slammed it down all the way on himself. To his surprise, Ichigo didn't complain, only swallowed everything he was given, coming up for air with a grin that soon escalated into pants and moans as he headed toward his own climax. With a particularly hard thrust, he sent him over, which in turn left Nnoitra only a couple erratic thrusts until he went, his reiatsu pulsing out around them both.

Ichigo fell forward on top of the half nude Ulquiorra. Ichigo had managed to open his top, strip his obi and grab his cock before he couldn't stop himself from going down on him in earnest. He just wanted to feel him inside. Nnoitra sighed, and pulled away, not really wanting to give up the warmth, but wanting to make sure he hadn't injured his beta. Ichigo lay languidly over Ulquiorra but now hissed as he realized he'd gotten Nnoitra to take him barely prepared and with nothing to ease it. Then he felt hands on him and looked back to see Nnoitra with the jar of salve/lube, and he was quickly applying it to his abused entrance. He sighed as his long fingers worked the cool salve into his insides, sending the stinging soreness away.

"Hrm, thanks," he said, turning to sit up and kiss Nnoitra gently on the cheek when he heard the jar lid close. Whatever had been in the stuff Szayel had given him was wearing off, and he felt sluggish now.

Nnoitra grinned. "Fer the fuck or the salve?"

Ichigo blushed madly. "Both."


	16. Split the Difference

A week had passed already, and when Ichigo looked in the mirror he was drastically different than he had been. He reached up to the hollow mask that now covered the left side of his face and the forehead of the right side. His skin had turned almost pure white. He blinked, despite the mask, his eyes had remained brown, and his voice wasn't different. There were these weird black stripes coming from the center of his chest, though. And of course the weirdest was the round lump in his stomach as the four chambers steadily grew. Szayel had come up with a concoction that made him less likely to pass out. It was sporadic, but the side effect was a pain because it set him off to want to ravage the nearest alpha. He'd decked Szayel for that one. But for some reason, the supplement activated the hollow mating drive.

He'd been avoiding the others. And he figured it was time to go visit them. After goat face had been here, he'd been so tired, and then working on finding a way to get the stupid formula to keep him awake was hard. He shrugged on a kusoda, trying to disguise as much of the changes to his body as he could. But he knew that it wouldn't be easy to hide it from Rukia, Renji and Ishida. He was worried about them, though. So he hoped they were well.

"Grimmy, ready?" he said, coming out of the bathroom after tying back the orange hair that had decided to grow seemingly overnight.

Grimmjow looked up from his seat. "Shit, the hair makes you look even more like a fuckin' chic…"

He got an angry scowl for his trouble. "Next time Szayel's little side effect kicks in, see if I jump your ass."

"Hey now, I didn't mean it!" he backpedaled and followed Ichigo to the door.

Ichigo knocked on the door. He figured it was better than barging in. He heard Rukia's voice form the other side calling to come in. Ichigo nodded to Grimmjow and he opened the door, letting Ichigo enter. He smiled, but his face fell when they were all staring very openly at him. He reached up and scratched his head nervously.

"Yo, sorry, been a little out of it, but now Szayel came up with something so I don't sleep so much," he said, trying to smile.

Rukia walked up to him slowly. "What is going on? You're turning into a…a…"

"Hollow?" Grimmjow helpfully supplied. "The fuck you think was going to happen."

Renji and Ishida looked between each other. "Is it going to go away?" Renji asked, staring at the thick black marks across his chest.

Ichigo sighed. "I don't know. Szayel says the closer I come, the more I'll take on the form of my hollow. Apparently, the fucker is a vasto lorde class."

Rukia and Renji exchanged glances. "He's a vasto lorde? You seriously are telling me that you have a vasto lorde hollow inside you, and you're a child of a shinigami?" Renji asked.

He smiled. "Explains why I'm hard to kill, huh?"

Grimmjow yawned and flopped into a chair, dozing off. Ichigo frowned at him but rolled his eyes. "But I'm feeling better, they've been helping a lot with them, and the stuff Szayel made for me works, though it has a few…side effects."

Rukia stared and looked down to a bulge in his midsection. "You can see them?"

Ichigo nodded, opening the kusoda. "Yeah, look, this is cool." He held his hand above his abdomen and a lick of reiatsu flared out of his hand, and in response four different licks of blue, gold and green flicked back at him.

"They're sentient already?" Rukia said amazed.

Ichigo snorted. "Of course! They're souls already; they'll just take on the physical characteristics of the parents. Just like souls that come from soul society to the world of the living, just get there differently.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Can I?" she asked, reaching out tentatively.

He smiled. "Sure, pulse your reiatsu a little, they'll respond to you. Just not too much."

She held her hand out and did as he asked, receiving a flood of emotions back from the growing creatures inside him. She backed up.

"That's amazing!" she breathed, glancing at Ishida and Renji, motioning them to try it. Both did, and gave an amazed look.

Rukia looked up at Ichigo's warm eyes and a sorrowful look passed her features. "Look, Ichigo, I'm sorry about the stuff that got said that upset you, I don't think Nii-sama thought how much you would care about these lives. And you're right, no matter why they exist, it isn't their fault. And for them to come from you, I know they'll be good…people…hollows…um, what will they be?"

He smiled. "Near as we can tell they'll probably look more like a mix between arrancar and vizard. But we won't be able to tell until they're ready."

"So, will it be like a human, will you get really big since there are four of them?" Ishida asked, curious and pushing his glasses up.

Ichigo shrugged. "Since they're souls right now, and all that, Szayel doesn't think so. Hollows usually tear open their bellies to let the cubs out, but with instant regeneration it isn't a problem. But I'm not fully hollow, but I guess it is possible that I'll convert before the birth, then return to normal afterward. But…we really don't know."

Rukia suddenly hugged him. "Ichigo, if I was mean, I'm sorry, I just don't want something to happen to you, you know! I'm just scared you won't turn back afterward, and if you don't, you can't go home, can you?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "Well, technically, my human body is still back there no matter what my soul form looks like. It's not like I'll have a hollow hole or something. But it will take some getting used to…a hollow shinigami, who would have thought? Shit that's Aizen's wet dream."

At the statement he froze. "Shit, what about him. I haven't even thought about him. He's going to try and take them, I bet."

Ichigo sat down heavily beside Rukia. "I..what if he takes them? What if he makes me stay here and turns them into what he wants? I can't handle that."

"Don't worry, Ichi," Grimmjow's growling voice said from the chair he was lounging in, obviously not as asleep as he seemed. "We got that shit covered."

He frowned and felt Renji beside him pat him on the back. Then it hit him. His eyes widened and his pale skin began to flush red. Rukia moved back in alarm as a strained moan came from him, as he leaned over. Grimmjow's eyes snapped open. "Ah shit, Ichi, not now, fuckin' Szayel…"

Unfortunately for Ichigo, the closest alpha was not one of his mates. It happened to be Renji. Blinded by the sudden rush of instinct, he turned to Renji with a grin and tackled him to the couch, the surprise causing the redhead to gasp and Ichigo dove into his mouth. Renji was honestly too shocked to do anything as he felt Ichigo grind into him, his tongue sinfully finding every crevice in his mouth. He was confused and lost for a moment then let out a moan when Ichgio's hands were fondling with his pants and palming his half hard erection through the hakama.

"Fuck, fuck," Grimmjow muttered as he jumped up to intercede.

He moved past the shocked Rukia and ignored the open mouth gape from Ishida. He grabbed the beta by the waist, eliciting a frustrated moan but he spun around in Grimmjow's hands and used his legs to push off the couch, sending Grimmjow off balance and sprawling onto the floor, already devouring his mouth. He felt his insistent hands on his hakama, trying to undo the obi, suddenly sharp nails, digging into the soft flesh of his alpha's belly.

"Ichi, no, come on, ride it out…" Grimmjow said pushing the writing orangette up by his shoulders.

"Ah…Grimmy, fuck, I'm hot, fuck…" he muttered, tired of the lack of contact and growled, swinging a foot around and clipping Grimmjow in the jaw. The arrancar groaned, blood flying from the split lip.

Grimmjow tried to get up to find his beta tearing at his hakama viciously, the fabric shredding. Grimmjow growled low in his throat and grabbed him by the hips and tossed him over his body behind him so he could get up, sending him flying. Rukia started but somehow, Ichigo landed in a crouch and leaped as soon as Grimmjow stood up again.

"Goddamned Szayel and his fuckin' side effects!" Grimmjow grumbled, catching the leaping shinigami before he was pounced again. He slide him around, pulling both hands behind him, trapping them, and wrapping one leg around his legs, holding him still. Ichigo growled, and scowled at Grimmjow, still doing anything to get away.

Grimmjow was panting. He looked at the three shocked figures. "It's the fuckin' stuff Szayel gives him, just at random fuckin' times triggers the damned hollow instinct to mate with the closest alpha, lucky you, Red, and he goes fuckin' nuts until it wears off, then he'll pass out for like five hours or some shit."

Ichigo was growling and fighting the grip his alpha had him in, and then he turned his head around and bit his shoulder, blood spurting out around the teeth that had become feral. Grimmjow couldn't help it, he was a little surprised and Ichigo flipped around, sucking and biting on the bloody spot, jumping up and wrapping his legs around Grimmjow. Grimmjow reached down and held up the madly writhing shinigami's ass before he slid off him.

"Fuck, that hurt! Shit, when'd you grow fuckin' fangs?" Grimmjow said, trying to disentangle Ichigo from him.

He managed it and shoved him back off him. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he stumbled backward and blinked blearily, nearly tripping over the table, grabbing it as he sat down hard on it. He looked at the others like he wasn't really seeing them and tipped forward, Grimmjow grabbing him easily.

"Damn to all the hells, he's getting more violent every time that happens," he groused, grabbing Ichigo and flopping back down into the chair with the sleeping oragnette on his lap, rubbing his shoulder with a grimace.

Rukia and Renji were silent. Strangely enough, Renji hadn't moved, still laying sprawled back on the couch, legs splayed, and mouth hanging half open. Had that really just happened? Rukia slapped his ankle that was beside her and slowly sat up, staring at the now peacefully sleeping shinigami substitute.

"Wow," he said, swallowing. "I don't think I've ever had something like that happen, hell if I expected it from Ichigo…"

Grimmjow snorted. "That ain't nothing. You should see what he did to Ulquiorra when…oh, yeah, he probably don't want me talking about that shit, eh? You guys are all uptight about the sex shit."

Rukia stared open mouthed at him. "Shorty, shut that before someone decides to put something in it."

She snapped her mouth shut, eyes bulging. Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Shit, it ain't like you don't know what we're doing with him. How do you think we're keeping his ass alive?"

Ishida nodded. "The reiatsu chambers. You are giving him your power, but it has to be done the same way conception was done."

Rukia almost gaped again but glared at Grimmjow and didn't. Grimmjow snorted. "We're his mates, the fuck you think you do with yer mate? Just because he wasn't willing to start with doesn't mean he isn't now. And before ya get all ruffled, it ain't his doin'. He wants to protect the cubs, so he does what he has to, and he has to answer to the hollow right now. The whole turning into one should clue ya in to what instincts are running his world right now. Hollows fight and fuck and eat. Luckily, he doesn't seem to need to consume souls. Something tells me he wouldn't like that too much."

"Well, you don't have to be so crass about it! I can't believe he still has to…" she said, looking away from Grimmjow.

Grimmjow bristled. "Hey, look, you think we're fuckin' using him, don't you?"

Rukia turned to glare at him. "Of course. You're Aizen's espada. All you want him for is to breed stronger arrancar or whatever he has."

"That's what fuckin' Aizen wants, not us," Grimmjow said with more heat than any in the room expected.

He looked down at the sleeping beta in his lap, and to their surprise a soft smile curled at his lips. "At the beginning, sure. It was about power, dominance, killing that cocky look in his eyes. But then this fucker…this fucker…"

Grimmjow looked down at him as he spoke, running a soft hand through the longer orange locks. "No he has to fuckin' come along and mess us all the fuck up. Damn Ulquiorra follows him around like a puppy, saying he feels when he's around. Fuckin' Stark spend more time wrapped around him in bed than he does sleeping now days. Nnoitra, fuck, Nnoitra is all fucked up, jumping at every sign of discomfort this fucker shows. And me, shit, I don't know myself anymore. Running off halfcocked and trying to rip the fuckin' throat out of Barragan's fraccion for daring to touch him, Nnoitra right beside my stupid ass, knowing full well the bastard could obliterate both of us."

Rukia felt a burning in her chest. She was amazed by what she was seeing and hearing. She looked over at Renji who was staring with fascination at the scene in front of him. Ishida stood behind the sofa watching intently as well. No one wanted to say anything.

Grimmjow sighed. "Fuckin' Aizen, brought this shit on himself. He won't touch your cubs, Ichi, I promise that, I'll kill him first. Stark, Nnoi and Ulkea too. He don't know what he's done, giving you to us. Letting you in, changing us. Espada of lonliness that is't lonely anymore. Espada of despair that has hope. Espada of emptiness that is full of love for another. And fuckin' espada of destruction sitting hear telling yer sleepin' ass all this shit."

He tossed his head back, the flicked his hand behind him, opening the garganta. He received three shocked glances. "Go, if ya want. I won't stop ya, hell, it will make Ichi happy if you go home."

Ishida shook his head. "I'm seeing this through to the end."

Rukia and Renji exchanged glances. "Us too. We're staying."

Grimmjow nodded, the garganta closing behind him. "I'm going to get Ichi's pop again soon, you can come with me if ya want so you can see anyone that don't come through. Primera has to wait between so Aizen doesn't know what we're doing."

Grimmjow looked thoughtful. "Ya think the shinigami will accept us?" he mused. "I mean, when we get Ichi and the cubs out of here. Or will they just kill us and them?"

Rukia shook her head. "I honestly don't know, but I know that Urahara will do anything to help Ichigo."

Grimmjow nodded. "Well, cross that when we get there. Fuckin' legs are goin' numb, taking this brat to bed."

With that, he stood up and left with Ichigo, leaving three stunned people behind him. Not really sure what to think of what had just transpired, they all just slumped back into seats with a sigh.


	17. Falling to Pieces

It was getting a little strange to look in the mirror. The hollow mask covered his face now, and his hair stuck out all around it in an orange carona. His eyes though were still brown. His belly was extended quite a bit by now, and he was going to be done in a couple weeks. He could already sense the end of the gestation. He glanced down at the bulge and hoped that there would be some sign that he was going to have them before he got the urge to slice his own guts open. He wasn't keen on that idea.

Things had gone a little weird, though and he hadn't been able to see his family. Stark said he was trying to arrange it again, but Aizen was being bullheaded about it. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, he'd just been surprised that Aizen had allowed it to happen the first time. Please, but surprised. He had finally stopped randomly trying to molest his mates, thankfully, however Nnoitra certainly missed it. Luckily there had only been one other incident where he jumped Renji, unfortunately, it had progressed to the point they had to yank him off before he actually started trying to suck the red head off. He wasn't sure who was more upset, Renji or the sex crazed Ichigo.

Lately though, things had gotten tense for some reason. Even around Rukia, Renji and Ishida. They seemed worried and waiting for something. It was strange, and when he asked, he got nervous replies. He glanced down at the black, sharp nails…well really more like claws, that he had now. He wondered just what was going on.

 _Last stage, king,_ the inner hollow informed him. _The cubs are strong, very strong, and now your power is going to come rolling back. I'm going to suppress though._

_Why do you need to do that?_

_So fuckin' Aizen don't realize it. You do know we don't want him getting' the cubs, right?_ The hollow demanded.

Ichigo swallowed, that was true. That was the last thing he wanted. He looked at himself. It was the final stages of the transformation to a full vasto lorde. He took a shuddering breath. So, now the worry was if he would go back to normal after it was all over. As long as his eyes didn't change, he should be in control.

_You'll be in control king. But if we don't do this, you will die and so will they._

_Why are you being so nice and nurturing lately anyway?_ Ichigo asked with a tinge of frustration. _You couldn't wait for these guys to get their hands one me, laughing in glee in my pain._

There was a chuckle. _Call it hollow hormones, king. In case ya didn't notice, it softens up the toughest bastards._

He had to admit. It did indeed. He couldn't have asked for more attentive and caring lovers. Granted, he didn't mind the bites and bruises, he gave as good as he got most times. Sometimes more than he go. He headed out the door over to next door to see how the others were doing. The rooms weren't sealed anymore, they really didn't have to be. Ichigo wasn't going anywhere, and the other arrancar gave the area a wide berth.

"Oi, how are you?" he announced coming in to see Ishida busy sewing something and Rukia and Renji entwined in each other on the couch.

"Ichigo, wow…" she said looking up. "The mask is complete!"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but almost. Feels weird, though, but the weirder thing is it doesn't really bother me."

Renji snorted. "Well with those teeth, I'm glad you aren't rutting anymore," he shivered at the thought.

Ichigo snorted and flopped on the couch, his hakama flaring as he did. "Yeah, well, I'm still mortified that I tried to molest you twice. Fuckin' Szayel…"  
There was general laughter and talk of what had been going on. Nothing of import until the door burst in and a very panicked Grimmjow came skidding into the room.

Ichigo frowned. "What's up?"

"We are gonna have to move our plan up," he said softly.

Rukia and Renji exchanged looks. "Why?"

"Aizen is going to have Szayel take the cubs next week," he said softly.

"What? No, it isn't time, if he takes them early…"

Grimmjow nodded. "They'll imprint on him, and not us, and we won't be able to touch them again. They'll be his."

Ichigo sank back into the couch. This was about the worst news. Hollow cubs imprinted on their "mother" when they were born, the connection being made when the hollow pulled them from the chamber, letting their reiatsu mix with the other. And to artificially take them would mean that couldn't happen and they wouldn't recognize Ichigo as their mother.

Rukia put a hand on him. "I can't let him!"

Grimmjow grunted. "Like hell he's going to do this shit, we just move before they are born."

He reached up and flicked his hand to open the garganta and looked at Rukia. "Get going, shorty, you got work to do…"

Rukia nodded and kissed Renji's cheek before she ran through the opening. Ichigo watched with a frown.

"Grimmy, what the hell is going on?" His tone was almost lethal.

He shifted. "Well, we decided back a while that we weren't lettin' Aizen have the cubs. So we all have been working on a plan with shortstuff to get us out of Hueco Mundo and hidden from both Aizen and Soul Society. We were planning to wait until you were recovered but if he's going to try and take them, we can't wait."

Karakura Town

Rukia was Urahara's door before the garganta even closed. It flew open. "Rukia?"

"Urahara, we're going to need help," she said softly, walking in. Urahara looked outside, seeing no one else.

She looked around. "Can we barrier it?"

Urahara nodded, flipping a couple switches and the meshed power of technology and kido hummed around them. "Okay, what's happening, we haven't heard from you since Isshin-kun went to visit, and its almost been two months."

"Yeah, well, Ichigo is going to need help. We have to get him out because Aizen is going to have Szayel take the babies next week before they're ready. If he does, they'll never see Ichigo or the espada as their parents, and will be completely under Aizen's control," she said urgently.

Urahara nodded. "Well, to be honest, I've been actually dealing with Soul Society on the issue."

She looked shocked. "What?"

"Well, after Isshin appealed to the sotaichou, the decision was made that if Ichigo was ever retrieved he would be allowed to rear the cubs in peace, prefereably in soul society, considering their natures," he said softly.

Rukia smiled. "Wonderful! What about the espada?"

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You have to get them out too," she said nodding.

Urahara shook his head. "What?"

Rukia sighed. "Who do you think got me here? Who do you think wants to get Ichigo and the cubs to safety?"

Urahara nodded. "I see what you mean, but won't Ichigo want to…"

"No, don't even consider separating them," Rukia said softly. "I don't even want to think what Ichigo would do without them around. He's difficult enough for them to handle."

Urahara frowned. "What does that mean?"

Rukia sighed. "He's turning…well, into a hollow. Full on mask, white, chest markings, everything. And right now the only thing containing him is them."

"This should be distressing you more than it is, Rukia-san…"

She sighed. "Look I've watched them. And at first, I was mad and tried to convince Ichigo that they were bad for him, but then I saw them, really saw them. At first they were violent and cruel and everything we expected from them. But then…it was like Ichigo changed them. Slowly but surely, they became completely and utterly devoted to him. And it wasn't an act, Urahara. They are plotting against Aizen _for_ him. Aizen still doesn't know they let his father come to Heuco Mundo. He doesn't know that they sent Inoue and Chad home. Grimmjow offered to send us all home."

Urahara looked a little shocked. "What? And you didn't come?"

She shook her head. "I had to stay, to see it through, me and Renji needed to make sure that Ichigo had someone who had stuck through it all that could tell soul society, you, whoever what had really happened."

"But you said he's turning into a hollow?" he said quietly.

"Temporarily, at least we think. He's still in control, but his body is changing to accommodate the hollow birthing process. He'd die if his body didn't alter to accept it. But his eyes are still brown, and he's still purely himself. Though he quit molesting everyone…" she said thoughtfully.

"Molesting everyone?" Urahara nearly choked on his tea.

Rukia snickered. "He was so drained of reiatsu for the first two months that their scientist guy made this stuff to boost his reiatsu so he could stay awake at least half the day. The problem was it had the side effect of activating the hollow mating instinct randomly. So we'd be talking and he'd randomly just flush bright red and tackle the nearest alpha. Unfortunately, I guess Renji is considered an alpha, and he got tackled twice."

Urahara blinked. "Tackled?"

Rukia grinned. "Well the first time, Ichigo almost found his tonsils before Grimmjow got him off, and the second time, the others weren't in the same room and he tackled him tearing off his pants and Ulquiorra came dashing in just before Ichigo managed to get him orally stimulated."

Urahara couldn't help it. His defenses broke down and he started laughing. It was so much that Yourichi, who had been reading in the next room came in confused. She looked at Rukia and back to the giggling mess that was Urahara. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just imagining poor Renji-kun…"

Yourichi frowned. "What the hell?"

Urahara coughed. "Seems that Ichigo-kun decided to give Renji-kun some special attention while under a side effect of some reiatsu bolstering formula."

She frowned, and now Rukia started laughing. Urahara sighed. "I'm not sure what is more amusing, thinking of Ichigo trying to go down on Renji like that, or Renji's face when he tried!"

Rukia smiled. "He was so shocked he just sat on the floor as Ichigo literally tore off his hakama, shredding them!" She frowned. "Well he does sort of have claws right now… but then his eyes got as big as saucers as he grabbed him and that's when Ulquiorra grabbed him dragging him off. Unfortunately, Ichigo's claws lefts some nice cuts on his inner thighs as he tried to hold onto him. Renji still hasn't let him forget it."

Yourichi was looking between the two now. "Ah, Yourichi-kun, you'll have to help me, we will be having guests downstairs, and we need some of the strongest barriers we've got."

She blinked. "Who?

"Why Ichigo-kun and his four lovers, of course, and his little ones!" he announced, snapping his fan open and heading toward the downstairs area.

Yourichi was left blinking in surprise as she ran off after her friend. Rukia sighed and sank back on the floor, staring at her tea, and hoping that the others were still doing okay.

Las Noches

Ichigo was pacing. He had felt the surging power come back slowly and steadily over the last few days, but the hollow, or Shiro as he'd dubbed him lately, had kept it under tight control. Anyone to the outside would have no clue. Even Ishida couldn't tell. The scariest part was the completion of the mask. He now sported two complete horns in the front, and there would have been nothing to indicate he was not a full hollow if not for the black circle in his chest instead of a hollow hole. The cubs were getting settled for their coming emergence, and he was very nervous. Aizen would be wanting Szayel anytime now to take them. And he wasn't going to let them.

"Stop pacing, Ichi," a voice said behind him, and he looked up as Nnoitra wrapped long arms around him. "Yer gonna put a ditch in tha floor."

"Indeed," Ulquiorra said from his position in the chair. "There is nothing to do but wait."

He sighed. "I know, but I'm worried about Grimmy! What if he doesn't seal his pressure right, what if he runs into trouble…"

His thoughts were hushed with a chaste kiss on his lips by Stark who had come sauntering into the room. As usual, it couldn't stay chaste and he found himself melting into the brunette's arms, even with Nnoitra holding him from behind. He ached with need, but with the end of the term coming, his hollow had warned that any extra influx of reiatsu would be harmful. So for the last week, they had abstained. And Ichigo thought he was going to go nuts. He'd gotten used to it, the sensations, the touches, and now he was denied and didn't like it one bit. He'd been rather grumpy.

Soon, though, the door opened and a beaming Grimmjow came in leading Rukia, who was also smiling. He looked at them expectantly. "We're set. Soul society is sending Nii-sama and Unohana-taichou to meet us in the morning at Urahara's, and we've secured the basement for all of you," Rukia said with a smile.

Ichigo gave a relieved sigh. "Good, now we should get some rest."

They all settled in for the night. However, when Ichigo woke up, he wasn't in his cozy bed with his loving alphas. He was in Szayel's lab, sitting with his hands bound above his head. He looked around frantically, and spotted Aizen. He growled low in his throat.

"Well, Ichi-kun…good to see you again, and look at you…" he practically purred. "Such a good little beta for my espada. You must have been keeping them very happy, none of them have given me any trouble since we sorted those fraccion of Barragan's. However, after we're done here, I had to make it up to Barragan, so you'll be sent to his castle for the next round of cubs. I'm sure that Findorr and the others will be glad to see you again."

Ichigo started at what he was saying. "No, they aren't my mates…"

Aizen sighed. "Your mates are who I say they are, Ichi-kun, and now Szayel is going to be so kind as to remove those four lovely creatures from you and I'll take over their care so you can get right on making some more from me. Ideally, I'd like a cub from you and each of the espada. Four down, only six more to go, right?"

Ichigo felt his anger bubbling, and the power just below the contained surface of his skin. _Fuck him, king. We got this shit. Just hold off a little longer, they're coming to find you now. And then, we're gonna rip his fuckin' head off._

"It is still strange to see you in this form, just like one of the vasto lorde, so amazing that that much power could be contained in a person like you. And it didn't even require the hogyuku to release, just took getting you fucked by a few arrancars. Such a beautiful thing you are now."

To say that the four espada waking up missing their beta was a cacophony of noise was an understatement. All four burst into the other room with the Quincy and the shinigami looking wild eyed.

"Is here in here?" Grimmjow asked, looking around.

Rukia frowned, standing from the table. "Ichigo? No, he should be with you guys…"

Stark growled low in his throat, a very guttural and wolf like sound. "Aizen."

With that, all four espada were out the door, with two shinigami and one Quincy hot on their heels heading directly for a certain pink haired espada's lab.


	18. Coup de Tat

Szayel didn't need someone to tell him what was about to happen. The reiatsu signatures coming toward him were quite apparent, and pissed. He snickered. This was going to get very interesting, very quickly. He glanced up and saw Halibel standing with her arms crossed under her cloth covered face. She had no expression, of course. But he could feel the power beginning to build. And the funniest part, in the small room where Aizen was taunting a very pregnant shinigami turned hollow was shielded so he had no idea that almost all his espada were about to turn on him because of said shinigami.

"How the hells did this happen, Halibel?" the pink haired scientist said with a sigh. "I mean, we're not even involved with the little bastard."

Halibel snorted. "Hormones? Pheromones? I don't know. I gave up a while back on figuring out what exactly was going on here."

"You think this is going to go in our favor?" he said thoughtfully.

Halibel sighed. "Primera, Tercera, Cuarta, Quinta, and Sexta together? I think so."

"And Octavo!" Szayle quipped and wandered into the room with Aizen.

Aizen looked up from the shinigami he was belittling and telling of his future home at Barragan's. Barragan, of course, not being privy to the little plan that the conspirators had enacted, had no idea what was happening. The espada was exceedingly full of himself, and still considering himself king of Las Noches. Szayel snorted, thinking that even though they hadn't intended it, they were about to give King Barragan exactly what he wanted most. Minus one orange haired shinigami/hollow hybrid beta, of course.

Now came the hard part. And it depended on the petite pink haired espada entirely. He entered the room and placed a tray of syringes on the table, humming to himself as he was often want to do. Aizen was busy tormenting his pregnant prisoner with thoughts of what exactly Barragan's fraccion had planned in punishment for the beatings they'd received from his current mates. It was difficult, because Ichigo had no clue of the plans that had been put in place. But Szayel's head shot up as he felt a slight pulsing of the beta's reiatsu. Shit, he thought. He should have accounted for this.

"Aizen-sama, if you would refrain, I musts prepare him for the procedure. Will you retire to the front, please?" the espada of madness said with a manic grin.

Aizen grunted and glared at him but acquiesced. He frowned to see the state his words and actions had left the extremely pregnant beta in. He was so heavy with the coming cubs by now that it was hard for him to get comfortable. It was amazing how much his body altered in the last week to accommodate their birthing.

Szayel took a syringe loaded with saline and muttered loudly about the events and then jabbed it into Ichigo's arm and whispered. "Visibly relax," in a low voice near his ear as he stood up.

Ichigo started and looked up to see the man's manic grin relaxed into a soft smile. Ichigo swallowed and stopped struggling slowly against the bonds on his hands, consciously slowing his breath. It wasn't that he was scared for himself, okay maybe a little, but the cubs, he didn't want to give them to Aizen. They were innocent. He saw the manic grin return to Szayel's face as he turned back wehre Aizen was watching through the observation wind. Ichigo took the cue and let his head loll backward, the four separate markings on his neck pulsing with various reiatsu. He was struggling to maintain control.

 _A little longer, king_ , came the whisper.

_You fuckin' know what's going on don't you?_

_Not entirely, but ah do know mah alpha/beta shit. Been one of each in my time. And they're not going to let Aizen fuck wit ya. And neither am I. When the time comes, king. Let go. Don't think, let fuckin' go when I tell ya._ There was a finality to the mental voice that Ichigo had never encountered before and he swallowed.

 _Ichigo, do as he asks,_ another voice whispered and Ichigo felt that he would indeed do just as the hollow asked.

_I will._

Aizen was watching him intently, so he slumped his shoulders and rolled his eyes a bit, acting as though he'd been given some sort of sedative. Szayel carefully unclamped his hands, carefully running a soothing thumb over his own hand in reassurance. Szayel was humming, and that was a little unsettling, but he knew that the espada of madness had slowly and steadily been acquiring sanity in the time Ichigo had been here. He wasn't sure what the hell was happening, but even the espada he wasn't mated with were changing if he was around them. He had never been around Yammy, Zommari or that freaky ninth espada much, and he steered clear of Barragan. But Szayel and Halibel had been steadily, like his mates, losing their aspects of death.

He was led to the steel bed and laid down, Szayel carefully pulling a sheet over him and locking eyes with him. Aizen was behind his head so he could not see him now. Szayel ran a hand over his sheet covered stomach, humming slightly as he felt the reiatsu pulsing into his and returning to him, giving him information. He pulled a tray of instruments over and Ichigo felt mild panic as he saw the assortment of clamps, needles, spreaders, and various other surgical instruments. He felt a hand on his arm though, and he knew that Szayel had something planned.

He leaned over and secured his wrists to the restraints beside his head, leaning over from behind.

"Be still, be quiet, breathe evenly. I feel the reiatsu under the surfaces, and when Aizen comes in to watch the procedure, I need you to tear the restraints free. I won't let him in until the others are ready."

Ichigo answered with a soft sigh and tried to do just that. But keeping his body still was turning into a maddening struggle as it was. Szayel continued to set up the room, moving things here and there including a wide and deep heating unit, no doubt to put the young in once he'd freed them from Ichigo's protective reiatsu chambers. He felt like squirming. He groaned inwardly at the fact that now of all times his nose itched. Seriously.

Grimmjow fought to keep his reiatsu tightly controlled. He looked at the other three, knowing that they were doing the same thing. Lillinette stood by Stark, knowing that she would soon be called out to help. She was, after all, half of his very soul. Grimmjow frowned, wondering just when the hell she'd caught up to them? He supposed they could communicate to each other. He glanced at the two nervous shinigami and the Quincy.

Stark yawned. "Once this begins, it is our job to keep everyone out of there, and let Ichigo deal with Aizen, but I will be able to support if necessary. I felt his reiatsu building, and I believe that mi amor will be capable of doing what needs to be done by way of pure instinct. Prepare for Yammy, Barragan, and noveno. Once we release, they will come, along with their fraccion."

Grimmjow grinned. "Can I kill those bastards that touched our beta this time?"

Rukia and Renji exchanged glances. "If you don't, we will. Point out the first two, I know the second group," Renji said with a growl.

"For a mated alpha, you certainly are protective of Ichigo," Ulquiorra said, tilting his head to the side.

Renji frowned. "Mated alpha?"

The four looked back and forth. "Ah, forgive me, I assumed you and Rukia…"

Both blushed. "Well, I guess, but not ah, mated…and Ichigo…ah…" Renji stammered looking between Rukia and the espada.

Nnoitra clamped a hand on Renji's shoulder. "Who knew ya swung both ways, Red? Well, ya know, if ya ever want Ichigo to join ya two for some fun, I think we'd be okay with it after what ya've done for us."

Renji's eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger, well at least one would think, until Rukia softly said, "Yeah, that could be."

He swallowed hard and stared at the short woman beside him and back to Nnoitra who was looking at him with a knowing creepy wide grin. Did Rukia just agree to a threesome? With Ichigo? He swallowed convulsively, images dancing through his mind at the thought, cheeks flaring as red as his hair. Truly, he'd been hard pressed to get the stupid orangette out of his head since he'd tried to give him a blow job in the middle of their room. But he had steadily fallen deeply in love with Rukia over the last months, and though their affections had not yet turned physical, he knew it would only be a matter of time.

Stark nodded, clearing his own head of images of watching his beta play with the pair in front of him. Well, that would be interesting. He'd allow it. If they could watch it, of course. And maybe join in. Yes, that would be best, after all.

"Summon your shikai, and Renji-san, you have bankai, correct?" Stark said, looking at the man who gave a curt nod. He smiled.

"Kick about, Los Lobos," he said softly, and then all restraints were broken and the places flooded with reiatsu enough that the walls shook, and there were some casualties of lower ranking arrancar throughout the place.

Halibel raised her head to feel that the others had arrived and released. She smiled and nodded to herself as she sensed her group of betas approaching from the other side. She couldn't see or feel Aizen, his reiatsu still tightly controlled, but she hoped the barriers in the room he was in had held. She grinned to herself as she felt the oncoming storm of the remaining espada rushing toward them. She smiled, having wanted an excuse to end that disgusting noveno espada. Aaroniero was a nuisance at best.

She left, heading toward the onrushing presence.

Szayel patted Ichigo's arm reassuringly. "Aizen-sama, we are ready to begin. You will need to phsycially pull them from the beta and twine your reiatsu around them. Otherwise they won't imprint to you," he said casually, pulling the sheet down to reveal the white flesh of Ichigo's belly. He distantly heard a crash and knew that things were progressing on the outside of the lab.

 _Let go, Ichigo,_ came the whispered voice. _I'll let you stay conscious and aware, but let go. It is time to end this._

Ichigo closed his eyes tighter, feeling the sinking feeling and fighting the panic at the loss of control as his body was lost to his nerves and orders. Outwardly, under the lids, the eyes faded from brown into a glowing red. A laugh that escaped his lips filled the room, making Szayel step backward. He'd expected Ichigo to retain the one in control, but as the yes opened and fixed him with a glowing red glare, he knew that the hollow had taken over. He could only hope it was Ichigo's idea.

Aizen frowned, pulling his zanpakuto from his hip. Ichigo's altered voice stopped laughing and he fixed him with a look. "That thing won't help ya now, Aizen. Ichigo's not here and I'm not gonna be as nice as he would. I'm fuckin' gonna kill ya and eat yer soul."

Ichigo tried to protest that he didn't want to eat souls, but the hollow retained tight control. _This must be, king._

Suddenly, the loose bindings on his wrists exploded in black fire. And before Aizen even knew it, he'd been thrown through the nearest wall, which was reinforced with more seals and barriers than Szayel cared to think about as they all crumbled with the force.

The flying body certainly surprised Rukia and Renji who stood squaring off with two of Barragan's fraccion, the blonde Findor and the one with the red tattoos that Renji thought was Abirmir or something like that. They saw Ichigo in the opening, and to their amazement, he dropped his head, red eyes glowing as a brilliant red cero forming in between the horns of the mask. Everything seemed to stop as everyong scrambled to dodge the path of utter destruction that sailed out of the orange haired creature before them. He turned, the direction Aizen had flown exploding behind him and locked eyes on Findorr and Abirmir who were fighting a short ways off with Renji and Rukia. He threw his head back to release a massive hollow roar and suddenly was behind Findorr with a burst of sonido, shocking Rukia who stumbled back. It took a minute for the blonde to register the presence, but before he could turn completely, his chest exploded through his back as the creature he'd previously hurt let the hunger roil through him.

Renji hadn't noticed as he was locked in battle with the released Abirmir, dodging heavy projectiles. He looked up to see Ichigo behind him in the air, and he swore he didn't see him move, the bird-like arrancar twisted, his front turning and his lower half facing Renji. There was a look of shock before a black nailed hand plunged through his chest, bursting through his back. Then he was back beside Renji and then something slammed hard into him, sending him flying with a growl. He dug himself out of the rubble of a nearby wall to face up to the twelve foot fraccion, and then as quick was gone and the huge arrancar's head exploded. A sonido brought him back in time to be facing Azien who had finally dislodged himself from the wall he'd been buried in.

The sight of the ex-shinigami stumbling forward, blood pouring from several wounds was enough to set those fighting back as the reiatsu sent some of the lower level arrancar to their knees, and even Rukia felt the pressure. But it wasn't just Aizen, Ichigo's had risen to match, no surpass it. Aizen tried to get his sword free but found himself unable to move his arm, and looking down, realized that the cero had blasted it entirely away. He growled.

"You all dare to defy me?" he called.

"You will die by my hands, and your dark soul will feed my young," Ichigo stated in a voice that was a mixture of the hollow and his own.

"You think _Ichigo_ is okay with that, hollow?" Aizen said, stalking toward the transformed shinigami.

Then the eyes flashed from red to brown. "I am." Aizen faltered for a second. A manic laugh cascaded through the room and a flood of black reiatsu tinged with red flooded outward at him, rising up in the shape of the mask he wore. Aizen took a step back and rose his own to face him but found himself pitifully unmatched.

"Shinigami. Hollow. And Quincy. You have no idea what we are Aizen," The half mixed voice came again. "And you've pissed all of us off."

The crushing reiatsu sent even the primera espada to his knees as a vicious explosion of power ripped through all of Las Noches. And then, Ichigo was over Aizen, who he had crushed under the influx of power. The hollow eyes burned red as they ripped open the front of Aizen's kusodo, revealing the hogyuku, and that was where the hollow began.

Luckily for the rest of those present, the soul consumption was hidden from their view. Ichigo himself had closeted himself in a far corner to try and ignore what his hollow was doing. It was a world of eating to survive, eating to gain power…and he'd never participated. But now…now he did. Even though he approved of it, he didn't have to watch. That was just…no.

When the hollow returned, the red slowly faded to brown and he smiled at Rukia and Renji, both slightly bloody but still fine. He glanced down and the swirling reiatsu inside and around him. Yes, this was going to power them. He smiled and slumped to his knees, but before he was further, he found himself held up by strong arms. Several sets. He vaguely heard questions of what was wrong, but he just knew he needed some sleep.

Karakura Town

Isshin was frantic. "They're coming!"

Karin and Yuzu were beside themselves standing outside the Shoten as their crazy father came running up. He'd sensed the garganta and there was a rush of reiatsu heading to them. He looked up and saw Urahara, Byakuya and Unohana waiting patiently. Others were already waiting in the basement in the "home" they had made until Ichigo was ready to go to Soul Society with his cubs and mates.

Several sets of feet set down, and Rukia and Renji ran forward of the group of espada. More had come than expected, and they would need to explain.

"Nii-sama, Unohana-taichou!" Both were covered in blood and were wounded but they waved off the questions.

"Aizen's dead, Heuco Mundo has been handed over to Barragan, and all the espada who became loyal to Ichigo have come with him," she rushed, looking around with hopeful eyes.

They looked up to see Stark walking at a lazy pace, Ichigo carefully slung in his arms, still entirely hollow looking, with Lillinette at his side. Grimmjow and Nnoitra argued over who had killed more fraccion next to him. Szayel looked around, examining everything he could see. Halibel walked in front of her three fraccion, and Ulquiorra walked impassively in the rear with a couple other lesser arrancars.

Isshin ran forward to look at the bundle in Stark's arms. "My precious son! What is wrong?"

Stark sighed. "We've had a long battle, he must rest, por favor."

Together they were all led to the basement level, Stark dropping with a sonido. They were led to a house and a comfortable looking large bed. He laid his mate down gently, smiling at him. The others were milling and talking outside as the other mates trickled into the room to kneel beside their mate. From the doorway, shocked eyes watched. Outside, Rukia and Renji explained everything, from the slow progression and influence Ichigo had exerted upon not only his mates, but also the other espada he was around like Szayel and Halibel. It was as though he erased their aspect of death entirely.

The question of Aizen's destruction came up, and Rukia looked at Renji.

"Ah, seems that Ichigo let his hollow take over, and all, yeah, Aizen is definitely dead," she said.

Urahara frowned. "Are you sure? He's got the hogyuku, and that…"

Renji shook his head, looking a bit green. "Nope, definitely dead."

Szayel snorted. "Shinigami, just like humans." He turned to Urahara. "Ichigo consumed him, absorbed his power, and I'm guessing that hogyuku too."

Isshin blinked. "He…my son…ate him?"

There was a moment as they analyzed the ridiculousness of the situation. Renji blurted. "Have you seen him? He's a fuckin' vasto lorde for soul's sake! I watched him rip apart the fuckers that hurt him without a though, and I've never seen anything move that fast, and he's fuckin' pregnant on top of it! I am scared to wonder how bad he is _not_ pregnant!"

And with that, the room dissolved into laughter, filled with unease at first, then morphing into the genuine thing.


	19. Hollow Birthing

"If you don't get the fuck out of here, I'm going to rip your fucking head off, Grimmjow!" came the growling scream from the house followed by one terrified looking espada scampering, dodging a half of random objects sailing out the door after him.

He stopped when the hail of objects stopped. "The hell ya do this time, Grimmjow?" Renji asked, laying back against a rock.

"Fuck! Just asked him if he needed anything! He's been holed up in there for the last two days! I don't think we could get anymore blankets and pillows in that room!" Grimmjow said, frowning.

"Isn't this normal?" Renji asked with a sigh.

"Fuck if I know!" Grimmjow growled. "Never had cubs before."

Szayel took that moment to wander into the area. "He's about to go," he said softly, so Ichigo couldn't hear him. "You'll need someplace with clean water or sand, he won't remove the cubs in the den, it would be too much of a mess. He'll come out in a little while and seek a birthing spot. And I suggest if anyone is going to witness it, you get them. The reiatsu signatures have been spiking for the last hour pretty violently."

There was a flurry of activity but Ichigo was too involved in the swirling things running through his head. He couldn't get comfortable. No matter how he sat, laid, it didn't seem to matter. Which was saying something considering the massive pile of soft things he was snuggled down into. He felt the sudden urge to go find somewhere else to curl up. He struggled to his feet, sniffing the air and wandered out into the larger basement area. The house was little more than a bedroom with a kitchen that Urahara often used to lodge guests. But now it was almost filled with soft things that Ichigo had purloined randomly.

It had started with Urahara noticing his pillows were gone. Confused, he asked Jinta if he had them. He proceeded to complain that his blankets were missing too. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the items. Some were cushions, others were pillows, and not everything disappeared, only certain items. Finally, Urahara wandered downstairs to find Ichigo on top of the large bed, snuggled down into the variety of things he had found missing that morning. Szayel explained he was preparing a nest for the cubs and the things he chose had some significance to him for one reason or another. Each one was attached to a person he felt connected to enough to trust. So it was that everyone ended up "accidently" leaving pillows, clothes, and plushies the night before. And this morning, they found had been picked through, several articles missing.

Ishida, Chad and Orhime stood looking down, smiling fondly at what was gone. Orhime had left a few things, and of them, only one was missing, a plush bear that she had used as a child. Ishida found his spare t-shirt and one of his Quincy capes were missing. Chad, who loved cute things, had left several plushies, and to no one's surprise, every one of them was gone. Isshin, Karin and Yuza had left several things, and Renji and Rukia had left a couple of blankets they brought from soul society. They still thought it was interesting.

They looked up to see several other people entering. "Nii-sama!" Rukia said, seeing her brother enter followed by Toshiro, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Kenpachi and Yachiru.

"We figured that this would be the only chance to see something like this," Yumichika said with a smile.

With that they all headed down to the basement to find the hollowified Ichigo wandering around, randomly smashing boulders and looking under them.

"You weren't kidding," muttered Ikkaku, looking at Renji.

"Told you, fuck, can you feel the power rolling off him?" Renji said, shaking his head as he wandered in their direction.

He looked up at the crowd of people and was in front of them with a burst of Sonido, his warm brown eyes examining them before growling at them. He turned and slowly walked, or rather waddled, away from them again, seeming to look for something, bursting with a sonido here and there, and a roaring challenge issued every now and then to the empty room.

"What is he doing?" Yumichika asked.

Stark had wandered up lazily, and watched as Yachiru and Lillynette started rapidly talking to each other. "He's checking to make sure there's no danger. He came to assess the threat you posed, and recognizing your scent went to finish checking the area. He won't let the cubs out until he's sure that nothing can hurt los ninos."

"Doesn't he know there's no way that danger could be here?" Rukia asked, frowning. "I mean, we're in Urahara's shop after all."

Grimmjow had come up to them, nursing a black eye. "Doesn't matter. He's going to do it, hollow instincts, remember?"

Urahara leaned back against the boulder behind him. "You say 'let them out' what does that mean?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Hollows tear their guts open and retrieve them, breaking the reiatsu chambers with their claws. We're kinda hoping that he's going to be able to do it without dying."

There was a moment of shocked silence. "But shouldn't we..."

Stark shook his head. "He won't allow you to help, not after Aizen tried the very thing you are thinking of, senor. We will be with him, and hope his instant regeneration kicks in. If not, Szayel is prepared over at an area he's set up behind the house. This was always una possible," he said shrugging.

Finally, from a short ways away there was a clicking growl. Stark nodded at the others. "He's ready. Grimmjow, get Szayel and I'll grab Nnoitra and Ulquiorra."

They were gone in an instant and the rest flash stepped over where the noises were emitting. Ichigo had managed to hollow out a small pit in the rock, smashing a great deal of the hard stone into sand around him. He was kneeling, calling out with his head tilted upward. A second later, Stark appeared up on the ridge, dropping his head to him, almost kneeling above him. Ichigo opened his eyes and responded with a growl. Stark slid his way into the sandy depression. Slowly, the same procedure was followed for all four of the alpha mates.

He fixed a glare to the shinigami and other arrancar just above the edge, but when they came no closer he relaxed. The rising reiatsu was almost crushing in the intensity. Ichigo's hollow form let out a howl, and his eyes began to burn red again. The four alphas stood back, waiting. It was their job to twine their reiatsu with their cub after Ichigo had released it and done the same. A sort of vortex began to flood of black and red reiatsu around Ichigo, as he stared down at his bulging belly. He let out a sort of soft howl and then using both hands sliced downward into the flesh, great gouts of blood starting to pour out as it was clearly visible there were four balls of pulsing energy sitting inside, two blue, one gold, and one green.

With a growl he dug black nails into the golden ball that was at the front, black reiatsu pushing through the shell. There was a flare as both colors shot out and then twined together, and Ichigo realsed a purring noise. Nnoitra dropped to his knees, and Ichigo deposited the squirming creature into his arms. He held it close and golden reiatsu began to pulse around him and the tiny creature. Next he dug into one of the blue chambers, a similar thing occurring, tangling of reiatsu and then it was placed in Grimmjow's waiting hands.

Ichigo was panting by now, the blood around his knees pooling fast. But he reached down and cracked through the green chamber. A few more minutes Ulquiorra was given his bundle. Now, Ichigo was sitting back on his heels and panting, gasping at points, his eyes wavering between the glowing red and his brown ones. He saw the remaining chamber of blue and tore through it quickly, grabbing the tiny creature and then handing it to Stark.

The foaming regeneration started, sealing the wound in his stomach but he looked up, stiffening as his eyes returned to their brown color and the mask started to crack.

"Shit, Szayel, his hollow couldn't hold on long enough!" Grimmjow cried out, leaning forward as he started to tip, blood gushing out of his mouth as the last of the mask evaporated. He fixed Grimmjow with a pained look as his hands shook, claws receding and flesh slowly returning to a normal color.

"Are they okay? All of them?" he whispered hoarsely as he was lifted up into Grimmjow's arms, having passed the cub to another's waiting arms.

"Yeah, Ichi, yeah, they're fine, come on, let's get you fixed up. It just took too long for your to get four of them out, you'll be fine he said, dropping beside the medical equipment Szayel had laid out. Isshin had materialized beside him with Urahara and Unohana.

The very nervous Grimmjow was pushed away and told to take care of the cub and let them work. He wandered to where the others had gathered staring, giggling and whispering over the four tiny creatures that were being passed around warm and comfortable arms.

They were each about four pounds or so, but perfectly formed. Grimmjow and reached out for his little one, a smile crossing his face, not a feral grin, but a genuine smile. The little cub was covered in soft blue fur with a little blue tail, but his head was a wild tuft of orange hair and blue and orange striped cat ears. It was most definitely a little boy, and he had a wicked set of teeth. He resembled himself in released form, and he wondered if there was a way to seal his form like he did.

He glanced over to see Inoue already chasing a little white skinned creature with bat wings on her back and a set over her ears. Already, she had figured out how to fly and was flitting about nakedly making chittering noises at Ulquiorra below her. Like her brother, though, her features were mixed. One eye was chocolate, the other emerald green, but both slit like a cat's. Grimmjow looked down to note a little wolfish boy gnawing on his ankle. His teeth were sharp, but nothing his hierro couldn't handle. He had little orange wolf ears and a matching orange puffy tail. His eyes were both dark brown. He looked around to see Nnoitra sitting on the ground, smiling proudly as he was being scaled by a little girl with brilliant orange hair and six arms, a pair of tiny horns jutting out of her forehead.

However, there was a given amount of worry present as Ichigo was still not with them. Soon enough, the cubs had tired of playing and sat about seeking their mom. When they couldn't find him, they all began keening sharply; calling to him in the way hollow cubs did when they were in great need. Each of the alphas picked them up and held them tight, doing nothing to calm them.

Finally, Isshin came out, pulling gloves off and tucking them into his pocket. "I think we're over the worst, but he's going to have to take it easy for a while. The wounds are superficially sealed, but it's going to take several days of intensive healing to recover the damage. The hollow receded before the regeneration could fix what carrying the cubs had done, so until the hollow can resurface, we just have to keep him stable. Urahara and Szayal are discussing if Inoue can help at this point since the cubs are born."

He glanced at the four cubs and smiled. "He's awake, and I assure you, he wants to see you and them."

The four headed over to where the medical tent had been set up to find their mate slightly out of it, but awake. He perked up when he heard them coming. There was a moment of disbelief as he was shown each other the cubs. Then he reached out his arm, and in quick succession, each of the cubs did what Nel had done, marking their mother. Ichigo glanced down at the five marks and smiled, then frowned.

"Where did Nel go, anyway?" he said.

Grimmjow smiled. "She was out playing never-ending chase when we left, but since then, she's been picked up and brought here. We decided to keep her upstairs and playing with Jinta and Ururu until you had the cubs."

He nodded. "Probably good idea. I'm so tired, can I go to the den yet? I want to snuggle with you and the cubs."

"You can, as long as you promise to take it easy until you've been fully healed," his father's voice came from the front. He smiled.

"Oi, goat face, you see these monsters? What do ya think?" Ichigo asked, grinning.

Isshin came forward, taking a proffered wolfish boy in his arms and holding the squirming boy up. "They're the best thing any grandfather could ask for. I wish Masaki were here to see it. What you've done, Ichigo, is amazing. And I have to credit her with it."

Ichigo felt himself blush. "Wasn't anything special, just got knocked up…granted, I thought I'd see Yuzu and Karin with babies before this…"

Isshin brushed his son's hair from his face. "You don't even understand what you did. You defeated Aizen, albeit not the way any of us figured you would…I'm still getting past that, but well, you are a hollow partially so I shouldn't be so surprised. But not only that, you turned almost everyone that Aizen trusted into your devoted friends and companions. Somehow, Ichigo, you filled the emptiness in them all. And even though the hollow holes are still there as a physical reminder, they're still filled and are slowly getting their emotions back. And we have no idea how you did it."

"Ouch, lil' bastard!" came a call from Grimmjow who had a blue furred boy hanging by his teeth off his finger.

"Hinto," Ichigo said with a smile. "Blue haired," he nodded. "Even though it's really blue and orange. He glanced at the pup Stark held. "Takeshi, for my little warrior boy born last." Stark grinned. He looked over to the batwinged little girl and frowned. She was full of energy, that was certain. "Chou, I know she isn't a butterfly, but I think it fits her." He looked at the last, the ball of energy with six arms. She as going to be a handful, he thought. "And last, little Toma, my jewel," he said fondly as the six armed devil made her way up to cling to his neck, chittering away at him.

Soon enough, four tiny creatures were crawling and licking him, making him laugh as he found himself in perhaps the greatest joy of his entire life.


	20. The Ending is the Beginning

The cups clinked happily in the room. Those sitting around the low table laughing and catching up. Ichigo had probably downed a half a bottle of sake on his own, but Renji had to have taken just as much. Rukia was nursing her own drink, though, her eyes lit with some sort of mischief that the espada mates could tell. Ichigo sat happily in the middle of Grimmjow's lap, falling to the side now and then, nearly burying his head in Stark's lap as he laughed at something. Grimmjow and Stark were both flushed with alcohol. Nnoitra and Ulquiorra were both in heavy discussion with Kenpachi and Inoue respectively. As far as they could tell, Nnoitra and Kenpachi were setting up yet another sparring match, and Ulquiorra and Inoue were discussing what else but the cubs.

"Grimmy! When we having more cubs?" Ichigo said, leaning back drunkenly.

Grimmjow snickered. "Well, next time you come into heat, of course, baka. Except this time, we're only going to have two at a time, got it? No more nearly dying because of all four."

Ichigo frowned. "But…hic…how do I pick just two?"

Grimmjow rubbed his back in gentle circles. "We'll get there; you got a while before that happens."

"Yeah, Ichi-nino, not going to risk it again, no?" Stark said, patting him on the leg.

"I'm glad everyone could come!" Ichigo announced with a grin, his face as red as his name suggested. "I can't believe we've been a year mated already!"

They had all decided that they would choose the day that they had first encountered Ichigo as his anniversary. After all, all four had been with him in the span of that first twenty four hours, so despite the less than pleasant first encounter with Nnoitra and Grimmjow, they agreed. Of course, Nnoitra and Grimmjow had made up for it _many_ times over since then. And tonight, all four cubs and Nel (who eventually gave up never-ending chase, thankfully) were spending the night with Aunt Halibel and her fraccion.

After the cubs had arrived, they'd stayed with Urahara for another three months while an appropriate place was readied for them in soul society. That gave Isshin, Karin and Yuzu sufficient time to spend with them before they headed off to the relative safety of soul society. Szayel had opted to go earlier and ended up being heavily involved with Mayuri. Needless to say, there were weeks that Kurotsuki-taichou was nowhere to be found, and eventually when they surfaced, it seemed Szayel was very pleased with himself and walking a bit funny. No one ever mentioned it though, because no one really wanted to know.

Halibel and her fraccion had stayed for a while but then went to soul society and quickly became integrated easily into the world. She and her fraccion also became Ichigo's go to for babysitting. The cubs were a handful at best, and it took several people to keep them in check, because unlike human babies, they were born running and flying in Chou's case. There were more than one occasion various shinigami brought back a squirming and flailing cub where they had escaped the watchful eyes of their sitters. Of course, Lilinette and Tesla also took equal turns taking care of the cubs, though usually it was a tag team effort.

It had taken the others in soul society some time to get used to the sight of Ichigo with his mates. Once they were born, his Zangetsu returned, and his wounds healed quickly (with Inoue's aid), and he now wore his familiar black shihakuso again. The espada had all wore similar outfits to what they had as arrancar, only now they were free to choose colors and all stayed away from the white Aizen had enforced on them. But watching Ichigo wander place to place with anywhere from one to all four of them had caused some interesting issues.

For one, people didn't know what to think. More than once he found himself dragging a couple of them behind him by the hand. It was decidedly odd, Ichigo was smaller than all but Ulquiorra. And of course, not everyone knew about the arrangement in the first months they came to Soul Society. And with motherhood, Ichigo had not entirely returned to his normal self, and none were sure if he ever would. His features had softened a little more, and he kept his hair long, usually pulled back at the nape of his neck. Most different was the distinct curve of his hips now, not extreme, but in just the right angle it was there. The subtle changes drove his mates to madness.

So it was he was wandering through shops looking for something for the cubs when he felt someone's hand on his ass. Now, this wasn't an unfamiliar thing, both Grimmjow and Nnoitra were real perverts and would proceed to practically molest him in the middle of a crowd (not that he ever complained too loudly), so he hummed.

"Oi, hands off 'til we're home, pervert," he muttered and the hand squeezed. He turned around and found himself looking at a shinigami he was unfamiliar with.

"The hell are you doing?" he asked, calmly, very glad he'd left Zangetsu home. He was wearing a blue kimono and hakama today, his clothes having recently acquired a bit of a unisex quality.

"Well, couldn't resist this handful, you see," he said, obviously trying to sound flirty, his beady black eyes sending a shiver down Ichigo's spine. Nope. He didn't like the guy. But he was going to wait. He was evil sometimes.

"I suggest you back off, or someone is going to remove that hand," he said calmly, glancing around seeing Grimmjow and Stark arguing over some possible clothes for the cubs.

The man squeezed harder, and Ichigo was thinking he was going to take off the bastard's hand in a moment. "Oh, you're far too delicate to do such a thing."

That was it. Grimmjow and Stark had nothing on Ichigo when someone said that shit. He grit his teeth, dropping the little outfit to the table. Instead he smiled sweetly. "Well, why don't we find out, come on, big boy," he said, waggling an eyebrow.

Grimmjow and Stark looked up to see Ichigo leading the unsuspecting shinigami out the door, and telltale waggle of his hips made both of them sigh and follow right after. This happened now and then. Ichigo was perfectly happy to have his mates take care of perverts. But sometimes, one would really piss him off, and then, well, they weren't there to keep the pervert in check, they were there to keep Ichigo from killing someone. But it didn't mean they didn't enjoy the show when their beta did something like this.

They watched with knowing smirks as Ichigo shoved the guy against the wall roughly and looked him up and down. "Delicate, huh?" he asked the guy.

Grimmjow groaned outwardly. "Shit, he didn't say that…keep a look out for when he snaps or we're going to be cleaning up the mess for a week."

Ichigo leaned forward, his hands running over his body softly, then one hand curled around the neck. A subtle shift and black nails were digging into flesh of the guy's neck and a red streaked mask was starting to cover half his face. He held up another black clawed hand in front of his face. "You know who I am?"

The shinigami looked like a trapped animal, and shook his head. Grimmjow and Stark groaned. What an idiot! No wonder the orange hair hadn't tipped the guy off.

Grimmjow stood behind him and put his hands on his shoulders, dodging the expected slashing blow from the free hand that wasn't wrapped around the guy's neck. "Ichi…now now, we don't need to have a little bloodbath today…"

Ichigo fixed him with a stare and slashed again, this time cutting a deep swath in Grimmjow's forearm. He stared at it and sighed. "You are so much trouble, Ichigo Kurosaki!" he announced and kissed him on the neck.

He sighed and the mask faded, the claws receded, and he was still clutching the neck of the guy in front of him. "Grimmy, see, I knew something, that's why I left Zangetsu at home."

"I-Ichig-go?" the guy asked. "K-kurosaki?"

Ichigo grinned and tossed the annoying shinigami into the street, setting him to roll about four times. He looked up at Grimmjow. "He called me delicate."

Grimmjow nodded. "I heard. Not too smart. Nothing delicate about you, berry boy."

By the time the first anniversary came around, though those things had stopped happening. Well, for the most part. Already tonight he'd sent three different drunks flying out the door, one woman and two men, for trying to get in his pants. And now he flopped down on a comfortable male body and sighed. He heard his mates snickering and turned to see he'd landed in Renji's lap instead. He frowned, looking at the very red faced red head. He shrugged and stayed put anyway, getting a glance from Rukia that his drunk mind couldn't decipher.

All in all, it was a great anniversary!

OPTIONAL LEMON – No story impact whatsoever. If you enjoy, please do, if not, skip to the end of the Optional Lemon section. J

Ichigo had already downed another bottle of sake singlehandedly when he felt himself being lifted up. He stumbled, giggling. He looked up to see a leering Grimmjow holding him up.

"Ichi, we got a surprise for ya! Come on!"

He hiccupped and stumbled with Grimmjow, and looked around, wondering where the others had gone. He grinned. For his surprise, no doubt! He wondered what it would be. Finally they were back at their house and Grimmjow steered him into the bedroom, where he giggling fell into the enormous bed they had (it had to fit five after all).

He felt hands on his face and he turned his head into a passionate kiss, but he frowned. It didn't taste right. And wait, it didn't feel right. This mouth was much too small. He blinked and his eyes cleared as he saw raven hair. He gasped and pulled away to see an entirely nude Rukia in his bed. His drunk mind flipped around and he saw Grimmjow leaning against the doorframe with a grin. Then he felt hands running up his back and he moaned to feel someone kissing on his back, but was surprised when a fall of bright red hair cascaded over his shoulder. He turned to see Renji over his back.

He practically started off the bed, falling back into a set of arms, and looked up to see he'd landed in Stark's.

"Wha…I know I'm drunk, but I'm not hallucinating drunk. Why is there a naked Rukia and Renji in our bed?" he stammered.

Nnoitra placed a kiss on his neck surprising him. "Don't you like our gift to ya?"

"It is really for them too, a thank you from last you, if you will, Ichigo," Ulquiorra said from his other side.

"But..but…"

Grimmjow smirked. "And we get to watch, so go have fun, berry boy."

With that, he was shoved forward onto the bed, and somehow, his mates had managed to strip his clothes off in the process, though he couldn't for the life of him remember when or how they did it. This is why he never drank sake. Dammit!

But soon, his lips were captured by Renji's domineering ones and he groaned into them, feeling Rukia's small hands on him. He'd know they were together for the last few months, but he never expected this…

"Ichigo, you sure?" Renji whispered in his ear. "I mean, I know we're a little drunk, but I don't think we could give in to this otherwise…"

Ichigo turned to stare in those dark eyes and growled. "Fuck yes…"

Renji grinned. Before long, tiny hands were encircling his arousal as Renji worked magic with his mouth up and down his back and neck. He was writhing in pleasure as Rukia's mouth suddenly enveloped him. He gasped as he saw her raven head bob down on him. Then he felt Renji behind him, slowly teasing the flesh of his perineum and his entrance with slick fingers. He groaned at the not unfamiliar stimulation.

"You fuck her," Renji purred. "While I fuck you into oblivion."

He gaped for a minute. "But, I've never…uh…"

Rukia came up with a pop, eyes wide. "Oh my, well, so I do get to take some part of your virginity after all," she said with a sultry voice.

Ichigo blushed again, but it might have been the sake, he wasn't sure. He had never been "gay" or "straight" after all. But he just hadn't had sex before his experience with his mates. So he was curious of course, as he doubted any of his mates would ever let him top. So this was really a unique opportunity. He felt a finger slide into him and he groaned, arching back. Rukia moved with purpose, pulling him over her. He found himself fondling the small breasts and amazed at how the flesh rolled under his hands.

He reached his hand down, running nervous fingers down into her wetness and was so surprised at how damp and warm it was. Before he even knew it, Renji had shoved him forward, and he found himself grinding a very hard arousal against her hip bone. He moaned as he pushed up with his arms, and she nodded to him as he slid himself into the warm moisture. His eyes bugged at the sensation. It was warm and wet and felt like silk around him. Then he was pressed all the way in as he felt Renji's throbbing arousal against his own entrance, and without a second warning, he was sheathed.

Ichigo was beside himself. Suddenly, and quite accidently, Renji brushed his sweet spot, sending him into a low throaty moan. Renji's head popped up, looking at the espada who nodded knowingly. He frowned and angled again, and pressed against that soft spongy place. Again, he felt the world blank, and he sunk deeper into the warmth below him. Before long, Renji picked up a steady rhythm that was rocking him forward, and into Rukia, who's hips were rising from the bed to meet him. It was almost like he didn't have to do anything, like Renji was the one fucking Rukia through his body. It was maddening!

He felt something hard rubbing against him and he wondered if that was a sensitive spot for Rukia, so he snaked a hand down, and at the top of the entrance there was a smooth little nub of flesh. He almost couldn't stay in contact with it with the speed Renji was slamming into him. But he managed, and soon enough, Rukia was writhing and moaning under him until she clamped down on him with a long low moan. He felt himself go as soon as she did, eyes rolling into his head as Renji slammed into his prostate and released himself. The rush was heady and it seemed to have burned away most the sake. He groaned and rolled out from between them and onto his back.

Of course, not to be outdone, he was promptly pounced by Grimmjow and Nnoitra. They grinned at him, and glanced at Rukia and Renji who were coiled around each other, now watching the two former espada, licking and sucking on Ichigo's spent body. Soon enough Stark and Ulquiorra made their way to the bed, adding their own hands and mouths to the mix. Renji and Rukia watched, wide eyed as all four attacked Ichigo at various points, sucking and licking him until he was moaned and obviously once more aroused.

They leaned back, Renji pulling Rukia into his lap against his freshly hardening cock. In a minute he wouldn't be able to help it, watching the four alphas rile up their beta. Finally, Grimmjow had enough playing and lifted Ichigo up bodily, Ichigo instantly wrapping legs around him, as he roughly seated him on his own cock. Ichigo released a pained and pleasured moan. "Fuck, Grimmjow! Give me a minute…"

Nnoitra was behind him, six arms now caressing. "Nah, Ichi, you don't need a minute tonight," he said, biting at his neck and seating himself into him beside Grimmjow. He arched his back into Nnoitra's hands and screamed out in more than a little pain at the sudden intrusion. "Dammit!" he growled.

Stark was beside him, kissing him. "Ah, pobrecito, you know you love it rough…"

His hand snuck between Grimmjow and Ichigo to begin pumping away at him as Nnoitra and Grimmjow set up a rocking pattern between each other, alternating brushing his sweet spot each time, sending him into a mewling mess of moans, all swallowed by Stark's kisses. Then a hard thrust sent him off the mouth and he growled and sunk his teeth into Grimmjow's shoulder. Grimmjow responded with a growl of his own and thrust in even harder as blood ran down his front.

Stark smiled. "Grimmjow has first blood tonight!"

And with that, they brought Ichigo around again, pulling his orgasm free and both sending off into him with a brilliant burst of reiatsu twining together. Ichigo was getting tired but he felt a mouth on his as soon as he was pulled off Grimmjow and Nnoitra. Ulquiorra had taken a spot between his legs and was quickly awakening his arousal as Grimmjow and Nnoitra lazed on the other side of the bed. Meanwhile, he was lifted up and Stark was behind him now. He groaned and leaned back against the brunette primera, but was shoved forward to his hands and knees, where he was met with Ulquiorra's cock. He reached out and greedily sucked it into his mouth moaning as Stark slammed into him.

Renji couldn't stand it anymore, he lifted Rukia up and slid her down on him, letting her ride him as they watched. He leaned back, hands plat, legs out as she slowly rode up and down, using her hands on his knees to support her. Neither one could take their eyes off the scene before them as Ichigo screamed a muffled release around Ulquiorra.

When all was said and done, there was a heap of very sweaty, very exhausted arrancar and shinigami in the bed when the door was opened the next morning by Halibel. She blinked, ushered her fraccion and the cubs out, saying something about going to the garden for a few hours.

END OPTIONAL LEMON – If you read, hope you enjoyed the little thing. Less of a three some, more of an orgy. *shrugs* Ah well.

_Two Years later_

Ichigo sat in the grass and watched the four cubs scamper and play. They'd grown so much in that time, equivalent to a five year old child. And they were being chased by Nel, as usual. Nel, though, had recovered her memory and somehow had retained the ability to shift between a child and a grown woman. He glanced down beside him at the wiggling one year old beside him. The bright red hair was a giveaway, but the tiny petite features were too. He looked up at Rukia and Renji, making out like teenagers while Ichigo watched over the baby. She was sleeping, but Ichigo didn't mind. After all, his were old enough now to nearly be independent. Well, by hollow standards anyway.

He looked up to see Stark, who now wore a captain's haori, the Taichou of the Hollow division. Shinji had become his fuku-taichou for division fourteen. Technically, Ichigo was the co-taichou. They had decided that the divison should have one arrancar and one vizard work together, and what better choice than a mated pair. Halible had taken the co fuku-taichou position, but was out now due to her fraccion Apaci being heavy with cub at the moment.

Then he sighed deeply and smelled the musk of his mates growing stronger. He growled and Grimmjow, Stark, and Nnoitra's heads all shot up from whatever they had been doing. Ichigo felt the keening purr emit from his throat and a flush assail his body. Last time, his heat had been triggered artificially by his hollow. This time, this was a normal one. The cubs were big enough to be on their own, and his body was ready to go again.

He snarled, and saw Stark was the closest. He jumped and began to attack him with little thought, a dance as old as time to determine the stronger of the two of them. Stark smiled, breathing in the pheromones deeply. It seemed Ichigo had chosen him for this round. They had promised, no matter what, to let Ichigo choose only two of them. He was too kind and loving to give up any cubs.

Renji and Rukia picked up their little bundle as Nnoitra gathered up the other four cubs, ushering them away, as Ichigo pounced his mate and they both tumbled to the floor in a confusion of limbs. Of course, Stark ended up on top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel Planned!
> 
> THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!


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